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10/09/2015  |   11:15 AM - 12:30 PM   |  Andrew Foster Auditorium

The global status of newborn and infant hearing screening

Introduction: According to the 2011 estimates of the World Health Organization 7.5 million children under the age of 5 years suffer from a disabling hearing loss. Already in the 1995 World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution the WHO member states were asked to prepare national plans for the prevention and control of major causes of avoidable hearing loss and for its early detection in babies, toddlers, and children. One of the predispositions to reach this goal – also in preparation of a new resolution on ear and hearing care that is foreseen for the agenda of the WHA in May 2016 – is an assessment of the current status of the systematic early identification of infant hearing loss and of services for its diagnostics and intervention. Method: In order to assess the current global status of newborn and infant hearing screening, two questionnaires were administered to potential representatives of newborn and infant hearing screening programs of nearly all countries of the world. Results: So far, 144 of 198 countries provided information. More than half of them have implemented newborn or infant hearing screening programs on a regional or national level. Their effectiveness is higher if there is a national program and the screening is mandated. There is a lack of such programs in low income countries. Region-dependent prevalences of permanent infant hearing loss ranged from >1 to 15 per 1000. Conclusion: Hearing loss is still underrepresented in the evaluation of the Global Burden of Disease estimates of the WHO which evaluate the disabling impact of specific diseases. Fortunately, many countries have implemented a neonatal or infant hearing screening basing on objective methods which makes sense and is feasible.

  • to understand the importance of a neonatal or infant hearing screening for the language, social-emotional, and educational development of a child
  • to get an overview about the global situation of neonatal and infant hearing screening
  • to learn about factors which are crucial for the efficiency of a neonatal or infant hearing screening program

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Katrin Neumann (POC,Primary Presenter), University of Bochum, Germany, Katrin.Neumann@rub.de;
Prof. Katrin Neumann is Head of the Dept. of Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology and of Cochlear Implant Center (Children) at the University of Bochum, Germany. She chairs the Technical Access Committee of the Coalition on Global Hearing Health. She contributes to the work of the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Impairment Team of the WHO as a member of the WHO Expert Advisory Board. She is associate editor of several international journals, received national and international awards, and published more than 190 original articles, monographies, and book chapters. Her research focuses are: implementation of newborn hearing screening, language screening, and CMV screening programs for children, examination of speech, language, and hearing processes with neuroimaging techniques, voice physiology and pathology, nature and treatment of stuttering, singer´s voice, diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation of children with hearing aids and implants.

      ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.


      AAA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -