The overall aim of this study is to inform the design of a future research project to address questions about child health outcomes of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection in England, including the strengths and limitations of routine data sources for ascertaining hearing loss and neurodevelopmental sequelae.

Objectives

1. To investigate information captured on childhood hearing loss in HES and NPD by age 7 years, the proportion and characteristics of children with hearing loss reported in one or other of these data sources or both, and variation in reported prevalence over time (including before and after Covid onset).

2. For five year olds to compare the number, prevalence and characteristics of children with a diagnosis of hearing loss captured in HES and NPD with those in the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP) database (being accessed via separate approvals), for a time period with information available from all three data sources.

3. In a cohort of children aged 7 years, to investigate reporting of other relevant neurodevelopmental outcomes in NPD among children with and without hearing loss, comparing where possible with estimates from the literature.

The study is being led by Professor Katie Harron and is funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences.