[Neonatal hearing screening]

Abstract

Approximately 1 to 2 per thousand live-born infants suffer from a serious perceptive hearing loss. Normal hearing from birth is essential for optimal human development (language and speech, social and emotional development, communicative skills and learning). The earlier the hearing loss is diagnosed the better the prognosis for the infant with a hearing impairment. Suitable methods are now available for neonatal hearing screening: automated measurement of auditory brain stem response and measurement of oto-acoustic emissions. Screening must be viewed as only the first step in a program of diagnosis, treatment and habilitation of these children. The ultimate goal of the implementation of neonatal hearing screening is: identification of bilateral hearing losses before the age of 3 months and start of therapy and counselling before the age of 6 months.