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Timing of newborn hearing screening in the neonatal intensive care unit: implications for targeted screening for congenital cytomegalovirus infection

Journal of Perinatology volume 41, pages 310–314 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

To determine when infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have the first hearing screen performed, and thus inform targeted testing for cytomegalovirus (CMV)-related hearing loss.

Study design

Retrospective review of electronic health records of infants admitted to a Level 4 outborn NICU and had a first hearing screen performed from 8/2016–8/2018.

Result

Among 1498 infants, 546 (36%) had a first hearing screen performed at age >21 days when a positive CMV PCR test cannot distinguish congenital from postnatal CMV acquisition. While most infants tested at >21 days of age were <34 weeks’ gestational age (71%), 18% (n = 100) and 11% (n = 59) were ≥34 and ≥37 weeks’ gestation, respectively.

Conclusion

Targeted CMV testing for failed hearing screen in the NICU is problematic as 36% of infants did not have a hearing screen performed before 21 days of age, supporting the need for CMV screening at NICU admission.

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Fig. 1: Timing of newborn hearing screen and cytomegalovirus (CMV) testing in infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from August 2016 to August 2018.

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Acknowledgements

This study was presented in part at IDWeek October 4–8, 2017 in San Diego, CA, the 7th Annual International Congenital CMV Conference April 7–11, 2019 in Birmingham, AL, and the CHNC Annual Symposium November 4–6, 2019 in Atlanta, GA.

Funding

The study was supported in part by internal research funds from The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital to M.S. and P.J.S.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, USA

    Alexandra K. Medoro & Pablo J. Sánchez

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Alexandra K. Medoro, Masako Shimamura & Pablo J. Sánchez

  3. Department of Otolaryngology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Prashant S. Malhotra, Ursula Findlen & Oliver Adunka

  4. Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Masako Shimamura

  5. Department of Audiology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Ursula Findlen, Holly Gerth & Gina Hounam

  6. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Douglas Salamon & Amy Leber

  7. Department of Information Services, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Nicholas Foor

  8. Center for Perinatal Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Cory Hanlon & Pablo J. Sánchez

Authors
  1. Alexandra K. Medoro
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  2. Prashant S. Malhotra
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  10. Amy Leber
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  11. Oliver Adunka
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  12. Pablo J. Sánchez
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Contributions

A.K.M. conceptualized and designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, drafted the initial manuscript, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. P.S.M. collected and helped analyze the data, reviewed, and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. M.S. provided result data, reviewed, and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. U.F. provided result data, reviewed, and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. H.G. provided result data, reviewed, and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. G.H. provided result data, reviewed and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. D.S. provided result data, reviewed, and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. N.F. provided result data, reviewed, and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. C.H. provided result data, reviewed, and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. A.L. provided result data, reviewed, and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. O.A. collected and helped analyze the data, reviewed and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. P.J.S. conceptualized and designed the study, analyzed the data, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pablo J. Sánchez.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Medoro, A.K., Malhotra, P.S., Shimamura, M. et al. Timing of newborn hearing screening in the neonatal intensive care unit: implications for targeted screening for congenital cytomegalovirus infection. J Perinatol 41, 310–314 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-020-00801-0

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