Frequently Asked Questions When should an infant be screened for hearing loss?
• All infants should be screened for hearing loss by 1 month of age, preferably before they are discharged from the birth hospital. The age of a child when a hearing impairment is diagnosed is crucial to the development of the childs speech, language, cognitive, and psychosocial abilities. • Without universal screening by 1 month, the average age at which hearing loss is identified in children is 2 to 3 years old. • Newborn hearing screening costs about $30 per child and takes about 9 minutes to do. Costs are much higher if a hearing impairment is not diagnosed until later in life. In the 1995-1996 school year, the total U.S. costs for special education programs for children who were hearing impaired exceeded $375 million. • Infants with risk indicators for progressive or delayed-onset hearing loss should receive audiologic monitoring every 6 months until age 3years (JCIH Year 2000 Position Statement). • Find out what Screening Guidelines are recommended by various organizations.
