Improving early audiological intervention via newborn hearing screening in Belgium

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Public Health
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Newborn hearing screening programs aim to reduce the age of audiological intervention for hearing-impaired children.
• Audiological intervention data were not collected in Wallonia and Brussels' screening program, preventing assessment of intervention ages.
• This study addresses the need to evaluate intervention timing following the implementation of a newborn hearing screening program in Wallonia and Brussels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the evolution of ages at initiating audiological intervention in Wallonia and Brussels.
• To compare audiological intervention ages with those from Flanders, a region with an earlier screening program implementation.
• To evaluate the impact of the newborn hearing screening program on early audiological care.

Main Methods:

• A population-based descriptive study utilizing Belgian healthcare billing data.
• Analysis of children's ages at initial audiological assessment, hearing-aid fitting, and cochlear implantation.
• Comparison of outcomes between Wallonia-Brussels birth cohorts (2006-2011) and Flanders cohorts from a decade prior.

Main Results:

• Median ages for audiological intervention in Wallonia-Brussels tended to decrease but remained higher than in Flanders.
• Differences in median ages between regions lessened over time for most outcomes.
• Proportion of children receiving audiological care before 12 months increased significantly in Wallonia-Brussels birth cohorts from 2006 onwards.

Conclusions:

• The newborn hearing screening program in Wallonia and Brussels facilitated earlier audiological intervention.
• Recommended early intervention milestones were not consistently achieved.
• Collecting audiological intervention data within the screening program is recommended for improved evaluation.