Children With Sensorineural Hearing Loss And Referral To Early Intervention
Insights
Nearly all infants with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) are referred to Early Intervention (EI) services, with most referred by six months. This high referral rate meets Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program goals.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) affects 1-3 per 1,000 newborns in the US.
- Early intervention (EI) referral is crucial for improving developmental outcomes in children with SNHL.
- The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program aims for timely diagnosis and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the referral rate of children diagnosed with SNHL to EI services.
- To identify who referred these children and the time to referral.
- To determine the services received by children with SNHL.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study design.
- Data collection via telephone surveys and electronic medical record review.
- Focus on children diagnosed with SNHL at a tertiary referral center.
Main Results:
- A high rate of referral and participation in EI services was observed.
- 100% of children with SNHL in the study were referred to EI.
- 92% were referred by 6 months of age, and 98% participated in EI.
Conclusions:
- Children with SNHL at the studied institution are consistently referred to EI, aligning with EHDI program objectives.
- The study confirms successful benchmark goal achievement for EI referrals.
- Future research should investigate the impact of these benchmark goals on long-term child development and academic performance compared to peers with normal hearing.
Objective:
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is identified at a rate of 1-3 per 1,000 newborns in the United States. Timely referral to Early Intervention (EI) services is critical, as early EI referral has been shown to improve outcomes, including speech and language development, social and emotional development, and academic performance. The objective of this study was to determine the rate at which children diagnosed with SNHL at a large tertiary referral center were referred to EI, and, if so, by whom. In addition, we sought to determine the time from the diagnosis of SNHL to the completion of the referral, and what services were received.
Design:
Prospective observational study
Methods:
Data were collected by telephone survey and review of the electronic medical record
Results:
Children with SNHL were referred to and participated in EI at a high rate. All children in this study (100%) were referred to EI. Most (92%) of the children were referred by 6 months of age, and almost all (98%) participated in EI.
Conclusion:
At our institution, children with SNHL are being consistently referred to EI, meeting the goals of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program. Future outcomes research can now be designed to determine whether achieving these benchmark goals improves children's academic performance, expressive and receptive language skills, and development as compared to age-matched, normal hearing peers.
