Transient evoked otoacoustic emission-based screening in typical nurseries: a response to Jacobson and Jacobson

Jacobson and Jacobson (Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 29 (1994) 235-248) recently questioned whether TEOAE-based newborn hearing screening similar to what was recommended by the National Institutes of Health could be implemented in a typical nursery setting. They concluded that, 'the theoretical advantage of TEOAEs as a method for screening newborn babies at risk for hearing loss may not be realized in acute practice.' This article presents data based on dozens of currently operational TEOAE-based newborn hearing screening programs which demonstrate that the concerns raised by Jacobson and Jacobson are not representative of what is being experienced by operational newborn hearing screening programs.