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Wednesday May 5, 1:17 pm ET
Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, M.D. Urges Hearing Screenings for
Every Newborn in America
WASHINGTON, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the World Council on Hearing
Health (WCHH) in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
and the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM)
released the results of its' Annual Hearing Healthy Kids State Report Card
on Infant Hearing Screenings, citing a 64.8 percent increase in newborn
hearing screenings in the past five years. The percentage of babies
screened for hearing loss at birth has risen to an all time high of 89.8
percent as states ensure early detection of this silent epidemic.
In November 1999, the World Council on Hearing Health (formerly the
National Campaign for Hearing Health) released data that indicated only 25
percent of U.S. newborns were screened for hearing loss that year. While
there is widespread compliance with 50 states and the District of Columbia
adopting policies or laws that mandate hearing screenings at birth, there
are still a number of states that received an unsatisfactory rating of
their newborn hearing screening programs including Alaska, California and
Ohio.
"We have made great strides in the past five years to get the word out and
stress the importance of infant hearing screenings. We are encouraged by
the incredible rate at which more and more babies are automatically
screened for hearing loss at birth," said Susan Greco, Executive Director
of the World Council on Hearing Health. "That said, our work will not stop
until we see universal newborn hearing screening and ensure that every
state receives the necessary federal funding for these critical tests and
follow up services."
Approximately 33 babies are born each day with significant permanent
hearing loss. Experts have stressed the importance of screening all babies
at birth in order to prevent these children from leaving the hospital with
undetected hearing loss. With 89.8 percent of babies being screened today,
that means that three babies still go home every day with undetected
deafness or hearing loss.
"One in every one-thousand infants born in the United States today has a
severe or profound hearing loss," said former Surgeon General C. Everett
Koop, M.D. "Without proper screening before the age of three months and
appropriate intervention, it can have a severe impact on the development
of communication skills, academic achievement, and social functioning of
the child. It's not only good medicine, but it demonstrates fiscal
responsibility to detect and treat hearing loss early on."
The 2004 findings of the fifth annual State-by-State Report Card indicate
the following:
* Nine (9) Exemplary States: 95% - 100% of babies being screened, of
which less than 50% of the funding for the program comes from temporary
federal grants.
* Twenty-nine (29) Excellent States: 94 % - 100% of babies being screened,
of which most of the funding for the program comes from temporary
federal grants.
* Ten (10) Good States: 80% - 94% of babies being screened.
* Three (3) Unsatisfactory States: 80% or less of babies being screened.
The full report card can be seen on the web at
www.WCHH.com.
This increase is largely due to the leadership on this issue by U.S. Rep.
James T. Walsh (NY) for sponsoring the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening
Bill -- the "Walsh Bill," the first-ever infant hearing legislation
enacted in 1999.
"Before 1999, only 22% of all babies born in the United States had their
hearing screened at birth," said Congressman Walsh. "Today, that number is
90% thanks to the encouragement and support of the Universal Newborn
Hearing Screening Bill. Furthermore, this federal effort supports
appropriate intervention so that the impact of hearing loss on the child's
development of communication skills, academic achievement, and social
functioning is minimized."
"It's great to see such an improvement over the last five years in the
numbers of babies being screened," said Carden Johnston, MD, AAP
President. "The American Academy of Pediatrics supports early hearing
detection and intervention for children, and is committed to working with
the World Council on Hearing Health to ensure that 100 percent of babies
born in the United States each year will have their hearing tested at
birth and referred to a medical home for intervention as needed."
About the World Council on Hearing Health
Affiliated with 45 years of progress and proven support through otologic
research discoveries, the Deafness Research Foundation launched the World
Council on Hearing Health to put hearing health on the global agenda by
promoting awareness, advocacy, education and legislation. Among the
Founding Corporate Members of the WCHH are: Advanced Bionics, Sonomax
Hearing HealthCare, Shure, Inc., Medtronic Xomed, Beltone Electronics, and
Pediatrix Medical Group. Included in the Association/Institution members
are the National Hearing Conservation Association and the League for the
Hard of Hearing. For more information or to join the World Council on
Hearing Health visit
www.WCHH.com or dial toll-free at 1-800-829-5934.
About the American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 57,000 primary
care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric
surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of
infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
www.aap.org.
About the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management
In 1995, the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM)
was established at Utah State University. Building on previous Consortium
work, NCHAM assists hospital-based Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and
state-based Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs in
their efforts to ensure that all infants are screened for hearing loss at
birth, and that infants who refer from screening receive timely and
appropriate diagnostic and intervention services.
http://www.infanthearing.org.
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