The association between hearing loss and treatment requiring retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants

The study aimed to evaluate the association between retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and hearing loss in preterm infants.

✦ Clinical Takeaway ✦

Clinicians caring for preterm infants who required ROP treatment should be aware of a potential association with hearing loss, supporting thorough audiology follow-up screening in this population; however, the retrospective design limits causal conclusions.

✦ Why It Matters ✦

Identifying co-occurrence of ROP treatment and hearing loss in preterm infants could help prioritize high-risk neonates for early audiology screening and multidisciplinary follow-up.

✦ Key Points ✦

01Retrospective design examining hearing loss rates in preterm infants who needed ROP treatment.
02Both ROP and hearing loss share common risk factors in prematurity (e.g., low gestational age, NICU interventions).
03Findings may support integrated screening protocols for preterm infants with severe ROP.
04Published in American Journal of Otolaryngology (2026).
05Causal direction cannot be established from a retrospective study.

✦ Claims & Evidence ✦

ClaimEvidenceSupport

Treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity is associated with hearing loss in preterm infants.

studypartially supported

✦ Research metadata ✦

PMID: 42208094
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2026.104861.
Journal: American Journal of Otolaryngology
Publication type: research_article
Evidence level: 4
Population: Preterm infants with treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity
Intervention: Presence of treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity
Comparator: Preterm infants without treatment-requiring ROP

Primary outcomes

Prevalence/association of hearing loss in preterm infants with treatment-requiring ROP

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