A Guide to Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening Programs

Abstract

THE SCREENING of newborn infants for hearing problems has been widely urged by otolaryngologists, educators, and audiologists.^1-3 From the medical point of view, the detection of hearing loss at birth offers both an opportunity for early medical treatment and a source of valuable information on the etiology of hearing problems. From the educational and audiological points of view, early detection provides the opportunity to apply auditory habilitation at an age that is most likely to ensure the optimum development of the hearing function. It is generally agreed² that detection should be made before the infant is 6 months old so that medical or educational treatment can be initiated. Inasmuch as the newborn nursery is the only place where the entire infant population is conveniently available for screening, it is most feasible to conduct screening tests there. Such screening has found increasing acceptance among pediatricians, who are currently focusing