Purpose: This study explores the changes in hearing thresholds in pregnancy.
Materials and methods: A prospective hospital-based observational study was performed with a total of 69 patients in the age-group of 18 to 40 years. Patients underwent hearing assessment twice during the study period. Conventional pure tone audiometry and impedance audiometry were performed, first during the antepartum period (28-32 weeks of gestational age) and second time during the postpartum period (6 weeks postpartum).
Results: Significant difference was seen between the average of air conduction threshold values at speech frequencies when antepartum values were compared with postpartum values.
Conclusion: The alterations in hearing sensitivity in pregnant females which improved during the postpartum period can be attributed to pregnancy.
Keywords: hearing; pregnancy; sensorineural hearing loss.