Hearing Screenings for Newborns
by Angela Scott
Nearly 2 in every 1,000 children are born
in the U.S. with severe to moderate hearing loss. The Universal
Newborn Hearing Legislation created policies in 1998 to ensure that
babies would get a healthy start in life. The National Center for
Hearing Assessment and Management tracks all of the birthing facilities
nationwide to determine which facilities are following newborn hearing
procedures approved by the federal Universal Newborn Hearing Legislation.
According to the 2003 State Report Card issued by the National Center
for Hearing Assessment and Management, 40 states received an “excellent”
grade. Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania and South Dakota
received a “good” standing. Six other states, Alaska,
California, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio and Washington received
“unsatisfactory” grades. Most birthing facilities that
have met federal requirements are also state-approved, where a majority
of their patients fall under state children’s services programs.
Technology has made newborn hearing screenings non-intrusive and
brief, where infant-size earphones play soft sounds to generate
auditory brainstorm response while the baby is sleeping. Strict
procedures also require follow-up exams and services held at hearing
centers for babies who fail the screening in one or both ears.
Experts say that early intervention for newborn hearing loss is
critical. Families unable to have their newborns screened for hearing
loss prior to hospital discharge should speak to their health care
provider about outpatient screenings.
For more information on the 2003 State Report Card issued by the
National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, visit www.infanthearing.org.
To learn about newborn hearing screenings and follow-up services
for abnormal screenings, visit the Deafness Research Foundation
at www.drf.org/stateResources/index.
Angela D. Scott lives in the Los Angeles area and is the Special
Sections Editor, L.A. Parent. This professional writer is a single
mother of two daughters, Shani and Samara
February 23, 2004
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