Newborn hearing screening in Hawaii.
Hawaii has been a pioneer and national leader in implementing universal newborn hearing screening. In fact, Hawaii is one of only two states (Rhode Island is the other) which have a statewide newborn hearing screening program in which 95% or more of all newborns are screened. Hawaii is the best example of a truly integrated system of services to provide effective intervention for all infants and toddlers who are identified as having a hearing loss. The success of the newborn hearing screening program is measurable in two ways: 1) all available information indicates that not a single infant with hearing loss has been missed by the screening process and not a single infant has been misdiagnosed as having a hearing loss; and 2) many of the children identified with hearing loss by the newborn hearing screening program have transitioned out of the early intervention program with age-appropriate developmental and communication skills. The success of Hawaii's program is a tribute to the enthusiastic support and collaboration of legislators, pediatricians, hospital staff, and DOH personnel.
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National Center for Hearing Assessment & Management, Utah State University, USA.
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White
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Johnson
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D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening