2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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10/13/2017 | 5:30 PM - 7:15 PM | Pediatric Audiometric Diagnosis of Neonates Presenting Microcephaly Associated to Exposure to the Zika Virus | East Ballroom at Shalala Student Services Building

Pediatric Audiometric Diagnosis of Neonates Presenting Microcephaly Associated to Exposure to the Zika Virus

Summary: Up to June 2016, 1749 cases of Zika were confirmed in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Hearing loss is one of the consequences of babies exposed to the Zika virus and presenting microcephaly. Objective: This study aims to obtain a pattern of audiometric results from babies presenting microcephaly due to exposure to the Zika virus. Methodology: Prospective study, observational, transversal with quantitative and descriptive findings. The subjects were eight babies presenting microcephaly and history of exposure to the Zika virus during their gestation period. There were six female and two male babies, with median age of five months of age. The babies were tested at the University of Rio Grande do Norte in the Speech and Hearing clinic. The neonates received electroacoustic, electrophysiological and behavioral evaluations. Four babies were lost to follow up. Of the four who completed this study three presented hearing loss and one presented normal hearing. All subjects presented some alteration in the development of hearing/listening abilities. The babies with hearing losses presented an ascendant configuration (low frequency hearing loss) of different degrees ranging from mild to profound. Discussion: The incidence and the alteration of the electrophysiological and behavioral audiological responses in these subjects with microcephaly and exposure to Zika are similar to the hearing loss found in other congenital infection and in syndromes where microcephaly is a secondary etiology. Conclusion: In all babies with hearing losses confirmed by electrophysiological tests, the loss was sensorineural in nature, of an ascending configuration ranging from normal to profound. All babies, even the one who was determined to have normal hearing by the electrophysiological measures, showed hearing loss during behavioral audiometry, suggesting that audiological monitoring is recommended to that population independent of electrophysiological results.

Identify prevalent auditory brainstem response patterns from this population.
Understand why behavioral audiometry is recommended even when ABR results are normal.
Recognize the importance of obtaining frequency specific information on patients with Zika.

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Presenters/Authors

Fabiana Araújo (), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, fabianaaraujo.fono@gmail.com;