UNIVERSAL NEONATAL HEARING SCREENING IN MALAYSIA: A REPORT

Abstract

Introduction: Implementing neonatal hearing screening is crucial to identify those baby with hearing loss as soon as possible. Even though the defect cannot be seen physically at very young age but the effect is tremendous once the child achieve at the age they should listen and talk. In order to implement effective neonatal hearing screening program, we need a proper plan. It starts from the baby born until they could talk and learn. The enforcement would involve all level of professionals and managers.  The purpose of this paper is view neonatal hearing screening program specifically Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening (UNHS) program in hospital MOH in year 2015 and 2016.

Methods: Data from participating hospitals were collected and submitted to the Audiology Technical Committee of MOH. The data were all well babies underwent hearing screening between 1^st January 2015 and 31^st December 2016. All data were analysed according to quality indicators for screening by JCIH 2007. These includes i) Coverage rate in total, ii) Coverage rate from screening ≤ one month of age, iii) Refer rate from initial screening, iv) Lost to follow up, and v) Return for follow up rate. All data will be compared with data from UNHS report 2013-2014.

 Results: About 12 MOH hospitals has been implemented in 2015. In 2016 another three hospitals implement the program. In total about 70 273 babies has underwent hearing screening in 2015 and the number were increased to 87 290 babies in 2016. The quality indicators for UNHS has increasing from year to year.

Conclusions: This study indicates that the awareness of professionals and parents about the importance of neonatal hearing screening increasingly clear. More equipment were delivered, more supporting staff were provided, and more time were spent to identify babies with risk to have hearing loss.