US Newborn Hearing Screening Resources in United States

US Newborn Hearing Screening Resources

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, hearing loss is one of the most frequently occurring birth defects; approximately 1-3 infants per 1,000 are born with significant hearing loss.  The instance of hearing loss is even more common in infants admitted to intensive care units at birth.  If hearing loss is not detected and treated early, it can impede speech, language and cognitive development.  Over time, such a delay can lead to significant educational costs and learning difficulties.  The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) reports that detecting and treating hearing loss at birth for one child saves $400,000 in special education costs by the time that child graduates from high school.

With early intervention in mind, states have taken action to ensure children are screened and treated early for hearing loss.  Screening programs are typically cost-effective and amount to about $8-$50 per baby.  Nationally, screening rates have increased significantly over time.  NCHAM data states that, of the more than 4 million infants born in the United States in 2005, 93 percent were screened for hearing loss.  States have taken a variety of approaches to this issue: some mandate that all hospitals or birthing centers screen infants for hearing loss before they are discharged; some mandate that insurance policies cover the cost of the screening, while others use state dollars to fund screening programs.  Still other states require that information on hearing screening be available to parents before they leave the hospital.  Fourteen states allow newborns to be exempt from universal hearing screening programs if a parent objects to the testing.

Signed into law in 1999, the federal Newborn Infant Hearing Screening and Intervention Act provides up to three years of grant funding to states for development of screening and intervention programs.