Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the pathway to amplification technologies for children who passed their universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) bilaterally with the intent of revealing effective strategies to identify children with acquired or progressive hearing losses. Additionally, the degrees, types, and causes of hearing loss, as well as the types of amplification used by the patients were investigated. Methodology: Medical records were reviewed for 102 children who passed their UNHS bilaterally and who are enrolled in the Boston Children’s Hospital Amplification or Cochlear Implant Programs. Of the 204 total ears, 177 ears were identified with hearing loss and were included in the study. Conclusion: Over half of new hearing loss identifications in children over 11 years and approximately one third of all new hearing loss identifications resulted from a referred hearing screening. For children under age three, a speech-language delay was the most common reason for referral leading to identification of a permanent, postnatal hearing loss. This study emphasizes the importance of routine hearing screenings in school-aged children as well as highlights the need for audiological evaluations when signs of childhood hearing loss arise, such as a speech-language delay.
Recommended Citation
Stiles, D. J. Broughton, K. Rose, J. & Trittschuh, E. (2020). Pathway to Amplification in Children who Passed their Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Bilaterally. Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, 5(2), 57-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/250b-a669
Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/jehdi/vol5/iss2/7
