Detection of hearing loss in infants

Permanent Congenital Hearing Impairment (PCHI) is a major cause of delay in speech and language development. Average age of identification of PCHI and subsequent fitting of a hearing aid is currently 18 months. Technology is available to screen successfully infants in the neonatal period for PCHI. Universal screening of all infants prior to discharge has been shown to be the most equitable and efficient method of identifying PCHI. Targeted neonatal screening is a good alternative if universal screening is not currently available.