Universal Newborn Hearing Screenings

Question 1

Why should we screen all newborns?

Answer 1

Most common birth defect, average reading level of deaf adults remained 4-5th grade and most papers are at 6th grade level, undetected HL has serious negative consequences, dramatic benefits associated with early identification

Question 2

Most important factor determining language abilities at age 5 was

Answer 2

Age at which HL is identified and intervention begun

Question 3

Effects of Unilateral HL

Answer 3

typically comes up in school aged kids—every situation/subject kids with typical hearing outperform kids with unilateral mild-profound HL

Question 4

Yoshinaga-Itano et al 1996

Answer 4

Compared language abilities of HL kids identified before 6 months and after 6 months

Not as big of a difference in 13-18 month stage because only in 1 word stage, but as kids age up to 3 years—significance difference in language ability of kids identified after 6 months

true across degree of HL—mild vs profound tended to have bigger vocabulary

Question 5

Importance of Family

Answer 5

More family involvement, higher vocabulary scores regardless of age of intervention

Question 6

JCIH High Risk Registry

Answer 6

Family history
TORCH (toxoplasmosis, CMV, syphillus)
Craniofacial anomalies
low birth weight (under 3lbs)
hyperbilirubemia 
ototoxic medication
low apgar medications
asphyxia
prolonged mechanical ventillation 
syndromes associated with snhl

Question 7

JCIH 2007 Updates

Answer 7

Target population includes AN

monitor those at risk for late onset HL one full eval by 24-30 months—congential CMV or ECMO more frequenctly

NICU stay of more than 5 days

Question 8

AABR

Answer 8

Not a test of hearing, asseses integrity of peripheral auditory neural pathway up to level of lateral leminiscus–track wave V

Question 9

OAE

Answer 9

Not a test of hearing, testing ingreity of OHC