Newborn hearing tests effective

19 August 2005

Screening newborn babies for hearing impairment improved early detection by 43 percent, British researchers report.

The finding "is the strongest available evidence of the added benefit of universal newborn screening in the early detection of permanent childhood hearing impairment," concludes the report published in the 20 August issue of The Lancet by paediatric neurologists at Southampton General Hospital.

The research team followed 66 children, all of whom experienced some form of hearing problem. Some had been tested for hearing impairment just after birth, while others were given a more general test at seven to eight months of age.

The researchers found that 23 of the 31 (74 percent) children given the hearing test soon after birth were referred for treatment before 6 months of age, compared to just 11 of the 35 (31 percent) who did not receive the neonatal screen.

According to the researchers, the next phase of their research focuses on whether early treatment actually made a difference in the children's development. The doctors are assessing the effect of early treatment on the children's speech and language, and on the families' health costs.

 The Lancet
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