[Neonatal hearing screening--consequences for public health policy].
In Germany 1-2 of every thousand newborns suffer from severe hearing impairment. The fatal consequences of this irreversible condition are avoidable only if therapy is started as early as possible--according to current US-American recommendations before the age of 6 months. In Germany children even with severe hearing loss are identified only when they are 21 months old (average figure). Universal hearing screening before the age of 3 months could be a useful measure to reduce the mean age of children at the time of diagnosis and so to give them a chance of an early and promising therapy. In the USA this has been recommended by the National Institute of Health since 1993.
Henke
K D
KD
Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre, Berlin.
Huber
M
M
D005858:Germany; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000639:trends; D011634:Public Health / Q000639:trends