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Published on: August 25, 2014
[Neonatal hearing screening--consequences for public health policy]
Insights
Early hearing screening for newborns in Germany is crucial. Universal hearing screening before 3 months can significantly reduce diagnosis age, enabling timely intervention for severe hearing impairment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Public Health
Context:
- 1-2 per 1000 German newborns have severe hearing impairment.
- Current German diagnosis age is 21 months, missing early intervention window.
- US-American recommendations advocate intervention before 6 months.
Purpose:
- To highlight the need for universal newborn hearing screening in Germany.
- To advocate for screening before 3 months to enable early diagnosis.
- To reduce the average age of diagnosis for severe hearing loss.
Summary:
- Severe hearing impairment affects 1-2 per 1000 German newborns.
- Delayed diagnosis (average 21 months) hinders early, effective therapy.
- Universal screening before 3 months is proposed to improve outcomes.
Impact:
- Reduces average age of diagnosis for severe hearing loss.
- Enables earlier, more effective therapeutic interventions.
- Aligns German practices with US-American recommendations for better infant health outcomes.
Abstract:
In Germany 1-2 of every thousand newborns suffer from severe hearing impairment. The fatal consequences of this irreversible condition are avoidable only if therapy is started as early as possible--according to current US-American recommendations before the age of 6 months. In Germany children even with severe hearing loss are identified only when they are 21 months old (average figure). Universal hearing screening before the age of 3 months could be a useful measure to reduce the mean age of children at the time of diagnosis and so to give them a chance of an early and promising therapy. In the USA this has been recommended by the National Institute of Health since 1993.
