The value of otoacoustic emission techniques in screening infant hearing loss

Objective To evaluate the value of two kinds of otoacoustic emission techniques in screening infant hearing loss,including transiently evoked otoacoustic emission and distortion product otoacoustic emission.Methods Hearing of 8 944 infants born during Jan,2001 to Dec,2002 were screened firstly by transiently evoked otoacoustic emission.Distortion product otoacoustic emission was the secondary test to screen the infants who did not pass the transiently evoked otoacoustic emission,and auditory brainstem response was applied to diagnose the infants with hearing loss.Results ①Of these 8 944 newborns,1 184 did not pass transiently evoked otoacoustic emission screening,with the rates of 85.12% and 53.55% respectively in the normal and the high-risk groups.②Of these 1 184 infants older than 42 days,105 did not pass distortion product otoacoustic emission screening,with the rates of 96.10% and 75.51% respectively in the normal and the high risk groups.③In 105 infants older than 4 months,9 were diagnosed congenital hearing loss by auditory brainstem response.The total incidence of congenital hearing loss was 1.006%.Conclusion The otoacoustic emission techniques play an important role in screening infants hearing loss in 6-month old infants,which estabilshes a foundation to interfere in congenital hearing loss in early stage.