Systematic Review Reveals 4.16 Percent Deafness Rate in Infants of Diabetic Mothers
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. Sheetal A. 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 the rate found in infants without established risk factors.
• Specialized Hearing Deficits: The review indicates that children of diabetic pregnancies carry a significantly higher risk for developing bilateral and sensorineural hearing loss compared to those from healthy pregnancies.
• Validated Risk Association: The review determined that gestational hyperglycemia is a positive risk factor for neonatal hearing loss across five of the eight analyzed research works, although three studies reported no significant association.
• Compounding Clinical Factors: The review identifies that additional factors like Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission, a gestational age below 35 weeks, and low birth weight further compound the hearing risks associated with maternal diabetes.
The results suggest that maternal diabetes during pregnancy is positively associated with neonatal hearing impairment, with the data indicating that an adverse intrauterine environment may lead to sensory deficits in roughly 3 to 5 children per thousand births. These findings underscore the clinical necessity of maintaining strict glycemic control through lifestyle interventions and medical therapy to prevent long-term neurocognitive and auditory development issues.
Thus, the review concludes that healthcare providers should prioritize early diagnosis and effective management of blood glucose levels in expectant mothers to potentially mitigate the risk of long-term neurocognitive and sensory development issues in their children.
While the review was constrained by a limited number of eligible publications and a lack of available cross-sectional data, further independent research is encouraged to better understand the independent influence of maternal diabetes on neonatal auditory outcomes.
Reference
Shelke SA, Haridas RS, Nawdikar GA, Bhalekar SC, Hogade S. A systematic review on correlation of maternal diabetes on neonatal hearing impairment. Indian J Otol 2026;32:1-6.
