{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T22:03:59Z","timestamp":1768946639078,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768867200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Audiology Research"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Universal newborn hearing screening is essential for early identification of sensorineural hearing loss. Infants born to adolescent mothers may be more vulnerable to abnormal screening outcomes due to biological, socio-economic, and obstetrical risk factors frequently associated with adolescent pregnancy. This study evaluates hearing screening outcomes in newborns of adolescent mothers and examines whether maternal and neonatal vulnerabilities contribute to abnormal (REFER) results. A retrospective observational study was conducted over four years (January 2021\u2013January 2025) at the \u201cSf. Ap. Andrei\u201d County Emergency Clinical Hospital, Gala\u021bi, Romania. The study included 187 newborns of adolescent mothers (\u226418 years) and 3203 newborns of mothers aged &gt;19 years. All infants underwent transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) testing within 48\u201372 h after birth, according to institutional protocol. PASS\/REFER outcomes were recorded, and retesting was performed when indicated. Although otological conditions such as middle ear dysfunction may influence OAE responses, routine otoscopic examination and clinical assessment were performed prior to testing. Automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) testing was not routinely applied due to equipment availability and local screening practices. The final REFER rate was slightly higher in the adolescent group (5.3%) compared with the adult group (4.8%). Maternal age alone was not directly associated with abnormal outcomes; however, maternal anemia, limited prenatal care, rural residence, prematurity, and low birth weight were more frequently observed among cases with persistent REFER results. Infants born to adolescent mothers show a modestly increased likelihood of abnormal hearing screening outcomes, primarily related to cumulative maternal and neonatal vulnerabilities. Strengthening prenatal care and targeted audiological follow-up may improve early detection of sensorineural hearing loss in this population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/audiolres16010014","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T08:36:33Z","timestamp":1768898193000},"page":"14","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Maternal and Neonatal Vulnerabilities Associated with Abnormal Outcomes in Newborn Hearing Screening: A Focus on Adolescent Mothers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-0607-7498","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mirela","family":"M\u0103t\u0103saru","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cSf. Apostol Andrei\u201d County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 177 Br\u0103ilei Street, 800578 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9249-5247","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elena","family":"Niculet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 35 Al. I. Cuza Street, 800008 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Morphological and Functional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 800010 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Multidisciplinary Integrated Center for Research of the Dermatological Interface (MIC-DIR), \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8244-0522","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emil","family":"Anton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universit\u0103\u021bii Street, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8147-3632","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ancu\u021ba","family":"Lupu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universit\u0103\u021bii Street, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Oana Ramona","family":"Ro\u0219ca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 35 Al. I. Cuza Street, 800008 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Research Centre in the Medical-Pharmaceutical Field, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 35 Al. I. Cuza Street, 800010 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Doina Carina","family":"Voinescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cSf. Apostol Andrei\u201d County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 177 Br\u0103ilei Street, 800578 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 35 Al. I. Cuza Street, 800008 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"M\u0103d\u0103lina Nicoleta","family":"Matei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 35 Al. I. Cuza Street, 800008 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cSf. Ioan\u201d Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children, 800487 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2710-7284","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alina","family":"Ple\u0219ea-Condratovici","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 35 Al. I. Cuza Street, 800008 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Camer","family":"Salim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cOvidius\u201d University of Constan\u021ba, 900470 Constan\u021ba, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Fotea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, \u201cDun\u0103rea de Jos\u201d University of Galati, 35 Al. I. Cuza Street, 800008 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cSf. Ioan\u201d Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children, 800487 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) (2019). Year 2019 Position Statement: Principles and Guidelines for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Programs. J. Early Hear. 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Pediatr."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"250","article-title":"Metode de screening auditiv neonatal \u0219i implementarea lor \u00een sistemul sanitar rom\u00e2nesc","volume":"67","author":"Rusu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Pediatria"},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"132","article-title":"Screeningul auditiv neonatal: Tehnici \u0219i protocoale actuale","volume":"70","author":"Munteanu","year":"2019","journal-title":"An. Univ. 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