Outcomes of Universal Newborn Screening Programs: Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Audiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Systematic review on universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) outcomes for permanent congenital hearing loss (PCHL).
• Examined age of identification, intervention, developmental outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and parental effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of UNHS in improving outcomes for infants with PCHL.
• To assess the cost-effectiveness and parental impact of UNHS.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of multiple electronic databases and other literature sources.
• Included 30 eligible reports from 14 populations, encompassing 7,325,138 screened infants.
• Compared outcomes of screened vs. unscreened infants and those identified through other programs.

Main Results:

• UNHS significantly lowers the age of identification, amplification, and early intervention initiation.
• Early identification via UNHS is linked to better language and literacy development, particularly in younger children.
• UNHS is cost-effective and does not result in significant parental harm.

Conclusions:

• UNHS programs in developed countries yield significantly better outcomes for children identified early.
• Early language development facilitated by UNHS predicts later literacy and overall language proficiency.