Newborn Hearing Screening

posted on March 02, 2009 11:18

Idaho CareLine: Dial 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588

Newborn Hearing Screening

Every week in Idaho, one baby is born with a significant hearing loss that will not be detected before six months of age. For more information on local assistance regarding costs, contacts, or materials, contact:

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Project (EHDI); or
Call 1-800-433-1323.

Research evidence shows that language development begins at birth. Experts now know that babies learn to speak by mimicking what they hear, and if they can't hear, they eventually will stop making sounds. Without adequate sound stimulation in infancy and early childhood, speech and language development will be compromised; later treatment may never fully compensate for this early deprivation.

The critical period in which a child's brain has the greatest capacity to develop speech and language is all but over by age three.

Researchers* also believe that reduced hearing adversely affects the developing auditory nervous system and can result in problems with social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development. Delayed identification and management of severe to profound hearing impairment may impede the child's ability to adapt to life in a hearing world or to prepare for life in the hearing-impaired community.

The critical period for language and speech development is the first two years of life. Unfortunately, the average age of a child when a hearing problem is identified in the United States is nearly three years of age. (*The National Library of Medicine report titled "Early Identification of Hearing Impairment in Infants and Young Children.")

Delays in diagnosis most often occur because hearing impairment in infants can easily be confused with other developmental problems. When hearing problems are suspected in newborns, many professionals still rely primarily on assessments of behavior, rather than on objective, physiological methods. But these assessments can be misleading, and often delay a definitive diagnosis.

The Families and Work Institute's 1997 publication "Rethinking the Brain," notes that "new insights into the brain's early development and functioning have allowed some researchers to address neurological impairments with greater precision. Case in point: with the aid of brain imaging studies, researchers have been able to study and detect auditory processing problems in babies six to nine months old before language impairment becomes evident. Once a problem has been pinpointed, specific, individualized interventions can be introduced at a time when the brain's plasticity is particularly marked."

In February 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement endorsing the implementation of universal newborn hearing screening entitled Newborn and Infant Hearing Loss: Detection and Intervention (Pediatrics Vol. 103, No. 2, pp. 527-530). The statement reviews the primary objectives, important components, and recommended screening parameters that characterize an effective universal newborn hearing screening program.

A study published in the February 1998 issue of Pediatrics (Vol. 101, No. 2, pp. 221-228), scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), also addressed the importance of early screening and intervention. The study indicated infants who have hearing loss identified in the nursery and use a hearing aid before six months of age will have optimal speech and language development.

According to the study, the average age for identification of hearing loss in the United States is 20-24 months, with mild and moderate hearing losses most often identified after four years of age. The study concludes that screening newborns for hearing problems can help those identified as hearing impaired achieve normal speech and language development. (Click here to order the scientific report "Universal Infant Hearing Screening by Automated Auditory Brainstem Response Measurement.")

Additional Articles/Resources

Note: You'll find these articles at different web sites. Use the "back" button when you're done to return to this page.

The Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing's goal is to improve the quality of life for Idahoans who are deaf or hard of hearing by providing information and by serving as an advocate for increased services and better access to services.

Your Baby's Hearing Checklist, provided courtesy of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management has numerous links to additional resources for parents and professionals.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders' article entitled Otitis Media Fact Sheet, provides basic information on hearing, ear infections, treatment, and additional research information and resources.

Information pertaining to Hearing: http://topics-az.parenthood.com/subcategory/Hearing.html.

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