Maternal Diabetes in Newborns With Hearing Loss

This study aims to investigate the presence and characteristics of maternal diabetes as a risk factor in newborns with hearing loss. Hearing loss is one of the most common congenital anomalies among newborns. The newborn hearing screening program is important for early diagnosis in newborns with hearing loss.Gestational diabetes, on the other hand, is a metabolic disease that occurs during pregnancy and can cause complications as in other diabetes mellitus patients. Despite our knowledge of major complications, the effect of the hyperglycemic intrauterine environment on hearing outcomes has not been adequately studied. The inner ear does not store energy, so it has a particularly high sensitivity to altered blood sugar and insulin. Altered inner ear metabolism leads to auditory and balance disorders. There is no study in the literature comparing uncomplicated gestational diabetes and pregestational diabetes as a prenatal complication that poses a risk of hearing loss.