TO STUDY THE INCIDENCE OF SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS POST MENINGITIS IN NEONATES

Background:Post meningitis hearing impairment is an important public health problem. Neonatal cause of mortality and morbidity in neonates future life. An consequence loss. Hearing plays a basic role language, speech intellectual development. Late detection causes irreversible stunting the language development potential child. Early intervention would help to maximize linguistic competence literacy for children who are deaf or hard hearing. The study brainstem evoked response audiometry provides opportunity evaluate functional integrity auditory pathway from inner ear upper brainstem. Aim:This was conducted determine incidence sensorineural loss following neonates. Material Methods:The present Department Pediatrics, Government Medical College Srinagar. All patients,Term with CSF culture proven bacterial meningitis. , were referred ENT, SMHS Hospital Srinagar, institution thorough ENT checkup, exclude any pathology BERA (Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry). Results:In our total number cases 87. Majority studied i.e. 47 (54%) < days age whereas 40 (46%) 8-28 aged. mean patients 15.7+3.71.Out 87 study, male predominance observed 55.2% males versus 44.8% females female ratio 1.2:1. 11 (12.6%) children.Bilateral seen 5 (5.7%) while as unilateral 6 (6.9%). Out had loss, (6.9%) having mild followed by 3 (3.4%) profound moderate severe 1 (1.1%) each. Conclusion: not rare complication asociated neonates, early appropriate treatment needed prevent intellecual damage.