Monitoring of Auditory Function in Newborns of Women Infected by SARS-CoV-2 during Pregnancy
Open Access
- 20 January 2023
- Vol. 10 (2), 194
- https://doi.org/10.3390/children10020194
Abstract
Background: Gestational SARS-CoV-2 infection can impact maternal and neonatal health. The virus has also been reported to cause newborn sensorineural hearing loss, but its consequences for the auditory system are not fully understood. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on newborn’ hearing function during the first year of life. Methods: An observational study was conducted from 1 November 2020 to 30 November 2021 at University Modena Hospital. All newborns whose mother had been infected by SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy were enrolled and underwent audiological evaluation at birth and at 1 year of age. Results: A total of 119 neonates were born from mothers infected by SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy. At birth, five newborns (4.2%) presented an increased threshold of ABR (Auditory Brainstem Evoked Response), but the results were confirmed only in 1.6% of cases, when repeated 1 month later, while the ABR thresholds in all other children returned to normal limits. At the 1-year follow-up, no cases of moderate or severe hearing loss were observed, while concomitant disorders of the middle ear were frequently observed. Conclusions: Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of the trimester in which it was contracted, appears not to induce moderate or severe hearing loss in infants. It is important to clarify the possible effect of the virus on late-onset hearing loss and future research is needed.This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- Pregnancy and COVID-19Physiological Reviews, 2021
- Otolaryngological manifestations of hospitalised patients with confirmed COVID-19 infectionEuropean Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 2020
- SARS–CoV-2 infection of the placentaJCI Insight, 2020
- Nasal Gene Expression of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 in Children and AdultsJAMA, 2020
- SARS-CoV-2: Is it the newest spark in the TORCH?Journal of Clinical Virology, 2020
- The SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 expression of maternal-fetal interface and fetal organs by single-cell transcriptome studyPLOS ONE, 2020
- The SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 expression of maternal-fetal interface and fetal organs by single cell transcriptome studyPublished by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory ,2020
- Virus–virus interactions impact the population dynamics of influenza and the common coldProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2019
- Is very early hearing assessment always reliable in selecting patients for cochlear implants? A case series studyInternational Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 2015
- Clinical Experience With Impedance AudiometryJAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 1970