Because of the critical impact of delayed detection, the National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel on Hearing Impairment recommended that all newborns be screened prior to leaving the hospital. Support for screening is strong among the medical community as well. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Audiology, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology published a statement confirming their support of universal detection in infants. The longer an impairment goes undetected, the more severe the outcome. Long-term economic consequences include a greater need for special education and services and a loss of potential earnings in adulthood.
Treatment can begin at any age, but is most effective when initiated early.
Approximately 90 percent of babies with hearing impairment have parents with normal hearing. Concerned parents may be told erroneously that they are overly worried, that the child is too young for testing, or that the child is a late bloomer. There is often a delay of 12 months between the parents' initial concern and the onset of intervention. Nevertheless, only 10 to 15 percent of newborns are tested for hearing impairment prior to hospital discharge . The ability to communicate is essential to learning, working and social interaction.