Support for universal neonatal hearing screening has increased dramatically in the years since the NIH Consensus Statement (1993). However, concerns have been raised regarding potentially negative effects of the screening process, particularly false positive results. Bess & Paradise (1994) and Paradise (1999) point out that little is known about the potential impact of false positive results on parental anxiety and subsequent parent-child relationships. Existing data is minimal and contradictory. This study will investigate the effects of a false positive hearing screen on both short- and long-term maternal anxiety and parent-infant relationships.
Specific aim #1 is to identify the short-term and long-term psychosocial effects on mothers of false-positive hearing screening of newborn infants;
specific aim #2 is to identify predictor variables for mothers who are at increased risk for experiencing short-term and long-term psychosocial problems as a result of false-positive hearing screenings on their newborn infants. All study participants will be recruited from one of 3 area hospitals. Infants who fail the hearing screen in the newborn nursery return to the hospital for repeat screening within 2 weeks of discharge. Infants who fail this second stage screen are then appointed to an audiology facility for diagnostic evaluation. Two groups of patients will be followed: (1) the parents of those newborns who fail their inpatient hearing screening but pass a subsequent outpatient screening [experimental group], and (2) the parents of those patients who pass (receive a true negative) initial hearing screening examination [matched control group]. Parents in both the experimental and control groups will complete a series of questionnaires designed to assess for parental anxiety, parent-child interactions, and maternal attitude toward the infant. Questionnaires for both study groups will be administered prior to hospital discharge and at 2-3 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months post-discharge. Ultimately, this study aims to improve the long-term well-being and overall quality of life of mothers and their newborn infants.
