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Universal newborn hearing screening
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, USA. aswrig@email.uky.edu
Insights
Universal newborn hearing screening identifies infants with congenital hearing loss, regardless of risk factors. Early detection through screening is crucial for timely intervention, though its impact on language development requires further study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Congenital hearing loss affects approximately 1 in 1,000 newborns.
- Causes vary (conductive, sensorineural, mixed, central), with risk factors like CMV infection and prematurity.
- Risk-based screening misses up to 42% of profoundly hearing-impaired infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of universal newborn hearing screening.
- To emphasize the identification of hearing loss in newborns with or without risk factors.
- To discuss the referral process for definitive testing and intervention.
Main Methods:
- Universal newborn hearing screening protocols.
- Identification of infants with positive screening results.
- Referral pathways for diagnostic testing and early intervention services.
Main Results:
- Universal screening identifies hearing-impaired newborns missed by risk-based approaches.
- Facilitates timely referral for diagnostic evaluation and intervention.
- Ease of administration supports widespread adoption.
Conclusions:
- Universal newborn hearing screening is essential for early detection of congenital hearing loss.
- While benefits on language skills need more research, screening is endorsed for early intervention access.
- Identifies infants who may not present with known risk factors.
Abstract:
Congenital hearing loss is estimated to affect one in every 1,000 newborns. Causes of hearing loss can be conductive, sensorineural, mixed, or central. Known risk factors for congenital hearing loss include cytomegalovirus infection and premature birth necessitating a stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. However, up to 42 percent of profoundly hearing-impaired children will be missed using only risk-based screening. Universal newborn hearing screening is a way to identify hearing-impaired newborns with or without risk factors. Newborns with positive screening tests should be referred for definitive testing and intervention services. Whether early intervention in hearing-impaired children identified with universal screening improves language and communication skills has not been established by good-quality studies. However, universal screening has been endorsed by most national children's health organizations because of the ease of administering the screening tests and the ability to identify children who may need early intervention.
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