Barriers to Timely Infant Hearing Loss Diagnosis Utilizing Auditory Brainstem Response.

Cohort studyOtolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery· Jul 2026

Barriers to Timely Infant Hearing Loss Diagnosis Utilizing Auditory Brainstem Response.

Raymond C Wadlow, Tracey Ambrose, Irene Sideris … Diego A Preciado

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Otology & HearingCohort studyClinical practiceQ4IF 0.0

Otolaryngology consultation is associated with a lower hazard of late infant hearing loss diagnosis.

Barriers to Timely Infant Hearing Loss Diagnosis Utilizing Auditory Brainstem Response.

Raymond C Wadlow … Diego A Preciado

Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery · Jul 2026 · Q4 in Otorhinolaryngology

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify common barriers that may affect the number of ABRs needed to establish a definitive diagnosis of hearing loss in infants.

Methods

Tertiary free-standing children's hospital.

n = 630 patients

Results

Otolaryngology consultation is associated with a 54% lower hazard of diagnosis after 3 months.

AHR 0.46 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.55)

null 1

0.38

0.55

CI excludes the null - significant

More results

Of these, 579 (92%) had received a definitive diagnosis through Auditory Brainstem Response, 322 (55.6%) of which required only one Auditory Brainstem Response.

172 (29.7%) required two ABRs and 85 (14.7%) needed three or more.

More results

Patients diagnosed after 3 months of age were fit with a hearing aid at a significantly older age than those diagnosed by 3 months (11.2 vs 5.9 months, P = <.001).

In the univariate analysis, otolaryngology consultation was associated with definitive hearing diagnosis at >3 months of age (386 vs 193, P = <.001).

“

Conclusion

Primary common barriers impacting appropriate and timely EHDI guidelines: Infant sleep state, coordination with other providers, middle ear dysfunction, distance to facility, and scheduling constraints.

Barriers to Timely Infant Hearing Loss Diagnosis Utilizing Auditory Brainstem Response.

Barriers to Timely Infant Hearing Loss Diagnosis Utilizing Auditory Brainstem Response.

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