Hearing loss and associated risk factors in newborns with meconium aspiration syndrome: a single-center retrospective comparative cross-sectional study

Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of hearing loss in newborns diagnosed with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) and to evaluate potential risk factors. Methods: A retrospective, comparative cross-sectional study was conducted between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024, at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Malatya Training and Research Hospital. The study included 91 newborns diagnosed with MAS and 14.998 newborns in the control group. All cases were screened using automated auditory brainstem response (ABR) in accordance with the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (2019) guidelines. Hearing loss was diagnosed based on clinical brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) at ≥60 dB HL. The groups were compared in terms of demographic, clinical, and treatment variables. Results: The rate of permanent hearing loss was 2.17% (n=2) in the MAS group and 0.40% (n=60) in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (OR: 5.57; 95% CI: 1.31–23.61; p=0.054). The use of furosemide was higher in infants with hearing loss in the MAS group (OR: 28.67; p=0.086). No significant association was found between hyperbilirubinemia history and mechanical ventilation use and hearing loss. Conclusion: The prevalence of hearing loss in newborns with MAS appeared higher than in the general population. However, the very small number of cases limits the statistical power of our study. These findings should therefore be interpreted as preliminary and hypothesis-generating. Hearing screening before discharge and careful use of ototoxic medications are recommended, while lifelong follow-up suggestions should be confirmed by larger prospective studies.