An evaluation of the effects of hypertension during pregnancy on postpartum hearing as measured by transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions

The aim of this study was to compare the ratio of hearing loss evaluated with transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAEs) testing in normal and hypertensive pregnant women during the first week after delivery. This was a prospective, case-control study. The hypertensive pregnancy group included 96 women with gestational hypertension preeclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP syndrome, while the normal pregnancy group included age-matched 107 women with normal pregnancy. Postpartum first week, pure tone hearing threshold levels of all women were measured at 0.25, 1, 2, 4 and 6 kHz. TEOAEs testing results were also recorded. All subjects also underwent a detailed ear noise and throat examination. Hearing loss with TEOAE during the first postpartum week was detected in seven (7.3%) women in the hypertensive pregnancy group and in three (2.8%) women in normal pregnancy group. Mean hearing thresholds and individual thresholds at each of the examined frequencies (0.25-6 kHz) were similar in the two groups. Bone and air conduction pure tone average and TEOAE results were not statistically significantly different in the hypertensive pregnancy and normal pregnancy groups. Lastly, the ratios of hearing loss with TEOAE were significantly higher in women with HELLP syndrome compared to women with severe and mild preeclampsia.