[Childhood hearing screening: achievements, difficulties, and possible ways to improve]

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Pediatric Medicine
• Genetics

Background:

• Hearing impairment is the most prevalent sensory impairment in children and adults.
• Universal newborn hearing screening has improved early detection, but some disorders remain undiagnosed.
• Hearing loss can develop or change throughout life, increasing the number of affected children over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review hearing impairments that are often missed by newborn screening.
• To discuss auditory neuropathy spectrum disorders, late-onset, low-frequency, and minimal hearing loss.
• To explore strategies for enhancing the early diagnosis of these specific hearing conditions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of audiology and pediatric hearing loss studies.
• Analysis of diagnostic challenges in newborn hearing screening.
• Synthesis of current research on auditory neuropathy and other late-manifesting hearing impairments.

Main Results:

• Certain hearing disorders, including auditory neuropathy spectrum disorders, late-onset, low-frequency, and minimal hearing loss, are frequently missed by universal newborn hearing screening.
• These conditions may manifest later in childhood, complicating timely intervention.
• Current screening methods have limitations in detecting all types of hearing impairments.

Conclusions:

• Despite advances in newborn hearing screening, specific auditory disorders require improved diagnostic approaches.
• Early and accurate diagnosis of all hearing impairments, including those not detected at birth, is crucial for effective management.
• Further research and refined screening protocols are needed to address the challenges in identifying all hearing loss types in children.