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As printed in Hearing Health, volume 19:2,
Summer 2003
Over the past year, the United States edged closer
to the goal of universal testing of newborns for hearing
loss - our country's number one birth defect. Recently
released figures reveal a significant increase in the
percentage of babies being screened, an encouraging
trend after a similar state-by-state review in the spring
of 2002 demonstrated languishing growth in the numbers.
This year's good news was reported in May when the
National Campaign for Hearing Health (NCHH), joined
by the American Academy of Pediatrics, delivered its
fifth annual report card on infant hearing screening
as part of its 2003 Hearing Healthy Kids program. It
shows substantial improvement in the nationwide totals.
Up from an alarmingly low 25 percent in 1999 and a
plateau of 69 percent in 2002, America now screens the
hearing of over 86 percent of all babies before they
leave the hospital. Also according to the report card,
77 percent of the states and the District of Columbia
have mandates requiring infant testing and 39 states
received a grade of "excellent" in percentage
of newborns being screened in 2003, up from 27 a year
ago.
Incredible headway made by a few key states between
2002 and 2003 strongly influenced the nation's overall
rating. New York showed the most improvement, making
a giant leap with 95 percent of babies being screened
this year. But Ohio and California, despite having legislation
on the books, have yet to overcome bureaucratic and
logistical obstacles to implementing successful programs.
Although the 2003 report card reflects fantastic progress
and the importance of early identification cannot be
overlooked, the overall rise in the number of babies
screened is only one part of the picture. In fact, today
the nation faces a dual challenge.
First, we must redouble efforts to build a safety net
of tracking and treatment to make sure that hearing-impaired
newborns identified through screening undergo follow-up
examination and receive early intervention services.
Less than 50 percent of the states require hospitals
to report screening results to their state department
of health, an essential step in protecting the futures
of babies with hearing impairments. Another step is
bringing the insurance industry on board in support
of early intervention and management.
A second part of the challenge is convincing state
and national legislators that the job is far from done,
no matter the recent gains in screening. To assure that
no infant with hearing impairment goes unidentified
and untreated, funding for early hearing detection and
intervention (EHDI) programs must continue but is once
again endangered. Although the current federal budget
includes $11 million as seed money for states to initiate
and implement programs, the Bush administration's proposed
2004 budget allocates no money for EHDI grants. NCHH
along with other advocacy groups are working with constituents
and legislators to preserve 2003 spending levels.
Click here to view the report card. Click here to view
a color-coded map showing the state of infant hearing
screening. For more on infant hearing screening, visit
www.infanthearing.org.
For details on advocacy efforts, go to NCHH's online
legislative action center at www.nchh.net.
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