Birth Outcomes Among U.S. Women With Hearing Loss

Overview

Journal Am J Prev Med

Specialty Public Health

Date 2016 Oct 1

PMID 27687529

Citations 28

Authors

Monika Mitra

Ilhom Akobirshoev

Michael M McKee

Lisa I Iezzoni

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to estimate the national occurrence of deliveries in women with hearing loss and to compare their birth outcomes to women without hearing loss.

Methods: This study examined the 2008-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project in 2015 to compare birth outcomes in women with hearing loss and without. Birth outcomes included preterm birth and low birth weight. Multivariate regression analyses compared birth outcomes between women with and without hearing loss, controlling for maternal age, racial and ethnic identity, type of health insurance, comorbidity, region of hospital, location and teaching status of the hospital, ownership of the hospital, and median household income for mother's ZIP code.

Results: Of an estimated 17.9 million deliveries, 10,462 occurred in women with hearing loss. In adjusted regression analyses controlling for demographic characteristics, women with hearing loss were significantly more likely than those without hearing loss to have preterm birth (OR=1.28, 95% CI=1.08, 1.52, p<0.001) and low birth weight (OR=1.43, 95% CI=1.09, 1.90, p<0.05).

Conclusions: This study provides a first examination of the pregnancy outcomes among women with hearing loss in the U.S. This analysis demonstrates significant disparities in birth outcomes between women with and without hearing loss. Understanding and addressing the causes of these disparities is critical to improving pregnancy outcomes among women with hearing loss.

Citing Articles

Evaluation of disparities in hospitalisation outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing patients with COVID-19: a multistate analysis of statewide inpatient databases from Florida, Maryland, New York and Washington.

Sakai-Bizmark R, Kumamaru H, Lee J, Estevez D, Wu F, Marr E BMJ Open. 2025; 15(1):e089470.

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Antenatal depression and drug use among deaf and hard-of-hearing birthing parents: results from a U.S. National Survey.

Tan N, James T, McKee K, Moore Simas T, Smith L, McKee M Arch Womens Ment Health. 2024; .

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Multiple Chronic Condition Emergency Department Visits Among U.S. Adults: Disparities at the Intersection of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Status and Race or Ethnicity.

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Severe maternal morbidity in deaf or hard of hearing women in the United States.

Mitra M, Akobirshoev I, Valentine A, McKee K, McKee M Prev Med. 2024; 180:107883.

PMID: 38307211 PMC: 11470382. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.107883.

Preferred Communication Strategies for People with Communication Disabilities in Health Care Encounters: a Qualitative Study.

Hickey E, Man B, Helm K, Lockhart S, Duffecy J, Morris M J Gen Intern Med. 2023; 39(5):790-797.

PMID: 38010462 PMC: 11043277. DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08526-4.

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