A recent systematic review published in the Indian Journal of Otology in February 2026 highlights maternal hyperglycemia as a critical driver of neonatal sensory deficits, revealing that infants born to diabetic mothers face a 4.16% prevalence of deafness—a staggering seven-fold increase compared to those without established risk factors.While 88% of pregnancies are physiological, 12% are classified as high-risk.
Given that factors like intrauterine hypoxia are known predictors of hearing loss, the lack of a systematic review on the direct impact of maternal hyperglycemia prompted Dr.
Shelke from the Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) at the Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (MIMSR) Medical College to examine the correlation between maternal diabetes and neonatal hearing impairment.Therefore, the systematic review synthesized data from 204,001 participants across eight international studies (2014–2024) to evaluate neonatal hearing loss in infants born to mothers with gestational or pregestational diabetes.
The investigation utilized objective Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (EOE) screenings to assess the primary endpoint of auditory impairment while excluding low-evidence formats such as case reports, non-English texts, and duplicates to ensure clinical data integrity.Key Clinical Findings of the Review Include:Elevated Deafness Rates: The review highlights that 4.16% of neonates born to mothers with diabetes were diagnosed with deafness, which is seven times higher than....
