A comparison of otoacoustic emissions examination results as early hearing screening in normal and infants at risk of hearing loss

Background: A child’s ability to speak must be supported by a good hearing function. With early detection of hearing loss, it is hoped that intervention can be made promptly, thus improving the quality of life (QOL) of children with hearing loss at birth. The purpose of this study was to compare the otoacoustic emissions (OAE) examination results in infants with and without risk. Method: The OAE examination was conducted on 60 newborns with and without risk factors in the nursery room and ORL-HNS outpatient unit. For all the newborns aged > 24 hours and before being discharged from the hospital with inclusion criteria, the OAE examinations were performed and repeated when they were 1 and 2 months old. Furthermore, the comparison of OAE results on newborns with and without risk factors aged > 24 hours, 1 month, and 2 months were statistically analyzed. Results: A Friedman statistical analysis test was then conducted to examine the correlation between the results of the first, second, and third OAE examinations. The first, second, and third OAE examination results of newborns with and without risk factors were compared, significant differences were found with a p-value of 0.0111 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The newborn hearing screening using OAE should be performed for all newborns (Universal Newborn Hearing Screening) and serially to minimize the number of higher referrals to health facilities to improve an individual’s quality of life in the future.