Metabolic and hearing screening in newborns at risk: a study in public hospitals of Fortaleza-Ce

Objective: To describe the reality of metabolic and hearing screening in newborns at risk in public hospitals of the city of Fortaleza: Hospital Geral Dr. César Cals (HGCC), Maternidade-Escola Assis Chateaubriand (MEAC) and Hospital Geral de Fortaleza (HGF). Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study developed by means of interviews with 4 pediatricians and with 127 newborn mothers (45 from HGCC, 40 from MEAC e 42 from HGF), between June and October, 2004. The studied data refers to: accomplishment, test, age, mothers’ knowledge, among others. Results: According to the pediatricians, screening happens in an efficient way. The metabolic one occurs in the 3 hospitals, and the hearing one happens in 2 of them (HGCC and MEAC). According to the mothers, it was verified that 4 (3.1%) of the newborns were not submitted to metabolic screening and 36 (28,3%) did not underwent hearing screening. Many of them were submitted to metabolic screening in a inappropriate period, after the 30th day of life (54.8% at HGCC, 48.8% at HGF and 17.5% at MEAC). Most of the mothers referred that hearing screening was accomplished in their children after the 3rd month of life. At the hospitals, the disclosure of the importance of metabolic screening was more frequent than that of hearing one. The mothers didn’t know the ideal period for the screenings and the diseases detected by them. Conclusion: Metabolic and hearing screenings are part of the reality of these hospitals, although, at this moment, not yet plainly. Failures were detected, especially in the lack of a wide coverage and in the age of the newborn. These data point out to the need for action in that respect.