Does the Mode of Delivery Affect Wideband Reflectance Measurements in Newborns

Objectives:Determine whether wideband reflectance (WBR) measurements in babies who were born by vaginal delivery are different from those of babies born by C-section. Our working hypothesis is that babies delivered by Caesarian section have higher reflectance scores on WBR, as they have more fluid and debris in the outer and middle ear. This can have an impact on universal hearing screening passing rates.Methods:Following standard newborn hearing screening, WBR was measured in 225 healthy babies. Sixty-six babies were delivered by Caesarean section compared to 159 babies delivered vaginally. A total of 123 ears were included in the C-section group and were compared to a total of 288 ears in the second group. The results were obtained for 60 frequencies.Results:The mean screening age for babies in the C-section delivery group was 27.5 hours compared to 24.3 hours for babies in the vaginal delivery group. For both groups reflectance was high between 0.24 to 0.79 kHz and 2.50 to 4.80 kHz, with the highest at...