Universal screening for infant hearing impairment: simple, beneficial, and presently justified.
In a recent article, Bess and Paradise (Pediatrics 93 (1994) 330-334) rejected the recommendation of the National Institutes of Health that all infants be screened for hearing loss on being released from their birthing hospital. This article responds to their objections with data from the literature and operational newborn hearing screening programs. These data show that universal newborn hearing screening is practicable, effective, cost-efficient, and safe, and concludes that such programs should be implemented without further delay.
White
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KR
Early Intervention Research Institute, Utah State University, Logan 84322-6580, USA.
Maxon
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D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response; D015975:Consensus Development Conferences, NIH as Topic; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D006291:Health Policy; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014481:United States