Newborn Hearing Screening: 1-3-6 Guidelines and How Well We Adhere to Them

Newborns who do not pass hearing screening in the newborn nursery should undergo oto-acoustic emissions (OAE) testing before 1 month with confirmatory auditory brainstem response (ABR) before 3 months. This study investigates caregiver adherence rates to OAE and ABR testing in newborns who were referred for hearing screening in an inner-city urban population, with the aim of identifying risk factors for poor adherence. A retrospective chart review of full-term infants in 2016 and 2019 at 2 Bronx hospitals found nearly one third of newborns did receive the recommended 1-month OAE, and half of those referred following OAE missed timely 3-month ABR testing. Combining data from both years, multivariable analysis found maternal spoken language as a significant variable affecting ABR adherence. This study suggests future interventions should target language barriers to increase adherence rates for timely newborn hearing screening.