title: Identification of permanent hearing loss in children: are the targets for outcome measures attainable?
abstract: A collaborative nine-centre study was designed to follow the routes to identification of all children up to the age of seven years newly diagnosed with permanent hearing impairment (> or = 50 dB HL) during the period 1993-1994. Ages of identification were compared with the standards set by the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), ascertaining whether these targets could be achieved with current service provision. Of the 126 children identified, 104 had congenital sensorineural hearing loss: 19% were identified by the age of six months and 39% by their first year. These results fall short of the NDCS targets of 40% and 80%, respectively, and point to the need for modifications of current practice, such as the introduction of universal neonatal screening.
authors.affiliation: St George's Hospital, London.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Forsyth
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grigor
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: MacKinnon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scanlon
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Umapathy
mesh_terms: D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods; D002662:Child Health Services; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires