The Evolution of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Programs in the United States
Identifying and treating children with congenital hearing loss during the first few months of life is a relatively new concept. To assist states in the development of statewide Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs, the federal government provides grants and/or cooperative agreements to almost all states and has established “National Goals, Program Objectives and Performance Measures” to guide the development and implementation of those systems. This article reviews the history of newborn hearing screening programs in the United States, summarizes the content of legislation and regulations passed by states related to universal newborn hearing screening, and describes how well each National Goal has been addressed. Although substantial progress has been made in the percentage of infants screened for hearing loss before hospital discharge, significant improvement is needed with respect to the availability of pediatric audiologists, implementation of effective tracking and data management systems, program evaluation and quality assurance, availability of appropriate early intervention programs, and linkages with medical home providers.
⁎National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM), Utah State University, Logan, UT
†Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, MD
‡National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Address reprint requests to Karl R. White, PhD, National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM), Utah State University, 2880 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-2880
Supported in part by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau under Grant Number U52MC043916.
The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the US Department of Health and Human Services.
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