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Abstract
The objective of this paper is to present data on the ages of diagnosis and hearing-aid fitting of children with permanent congenital or early-onset hearing loss who were identified through neonatal hearing screening (NHS) programs or medical referral. Data were collected for 709 children born between 1980 and 2003. Children who were screened were diagnosed significantly earlier (mean 6.3 months) than referred children (mean 39.5 months). For the referred children, the ages of diagnosis and amplification improved over time but remained unacceptably high. In addition, there was an inverse relationship between degree of loss and age of diagnosis, with children with lesser degrees of hearing loss identified later than those with severe to profound hearing loss. These results contribute to the evidence that NHS programs lower the ages of diagnosis and amplification and lead to earlier improved hearing. It is argued that early access to hearing should be the desired primary outcome of NHS. The numerous studies demonstrating improved ages of diagnosis resulting from NHS programs constitute adequate evidence to support these initiatives.
| Abbreviations | ||
| PHL | = | Permanent hearing loss |
| NHS | = | Neonatal hearing screening |
| UNHS | = | Universal newborn hearing screening |
| EHDI | = | Early hearing detection and intervention |
| IHP | = | Infant hearing program |
| ABR | = | Auditory brainstem response |
| JCIH | = | Joint Committee on Infant Hearing |
| NIH | = | National Institutes of Health |
| NCHAM | = | National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management |
| USPSTF | = | United States Preventive Services Task Force |
| CHEO | = | Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario |
| Abbreviations | ||
| PHL | = | Permanent hearing loss |
| NHS | = | Neonatal hearing screening |
| UNHS | = | Universal newborn hearing screening |
| EHDI | = | Early hearing detection and intervention |
| IHP | = | Infant hearing program |
| ABR | = | Auditory brainstem response |
| JCIH | = | Joint Committee on Infant Hearing |
| NIH | = | National Institutes of Health |
| NCHAM | = | National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management |
| USPSTF | = | United States Preventive Services Task Force |
| CHEO | = | Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario |
Sumario
El objetivo de este artículo es presentar datos sobre las edades de diagnóstico y adaptación de auxiliares auditivos en niños con pérdidas auditivas congénitas permanentes o con hipoacusias de inicio temprano, quienes fueron identificados por medio de programas de tamiz auditivo neonatal (NHS) o por referencia médica. Los datos fueron recolectados a partir de 709 niños nacidos entre 1980 y el 2003. Los niños que fueron identificados por tamización se diagnosticaron significativamente más temprano (media de 6.3 meses) que los niños referidos (media de 39.5 meses). Para los niños referidos, las edades de diagnóstico y amplificación mejoraron en el tiempo pero se mantuvieron inaceptablemente altas. Además, existió una relación inversa entre el grado de pérdida y la edad del diagnóstico, existiendo niños con grados menores de pérdida que fueron diagnosticados más tardíamente que aquellos con pérdidas auditivas severas a profundas. Estos resultados contribuyen a la evidencia de que los programas de NHS reducen la edad del diagnóstico y la amplificación, y que conducen a una audición mejorada tempranamente. Se argumenta que el acceso temprano a la audición debería ser un resultado primario deseado del NHS. Los numerosos estudios que demuestran mejoría en la edad del diagnóstico a partir de programas de NHS constituyen una evidencia adecuada para apoyar estas iniciativas.