Knowledge and attitude of parents/caregivers towards hearing loss and screening in newborns – a systematic review

Objective: The parents/caregivers of a newborn play a pivotal role in the process of hearing screening and intervention. The decisions taken by them depend on their knowledge and attitude. The purpose of this study was to review the literature systematically on knowledge and attitude of parents/caregivers towards infant hearing loss and newborn hearing screening. Design: A systematic search was conducted using electronic databases for the periods from 1990 to March 2016. Two authors scrutinized the studies and extracted the data based on predetermined criteria. Study sample: Ten studies. Results: Ear discharge was correctly identified as a risk factor for hearing loss along with measles, drugs/medication, family history, congenital causes and noise exposure. The studies revealed mixed results for knowledge about newborn hearing screening. Overall, the parents/caregivers showed positive attitudes towards hearing screening and intervention options. However, due to heterogeneity in the studies, it’s hard to derive a conclusion. Conclusions: The present review sheds light on the common areas of misconception among parents/caregivers about risk factors of infant hearing loss and newborn hearing screening. The review also draws attention to the need to have more studies exploring this knowledge and attitude of parents/caregivers among diverse populations.