Newborn Hearing Loss and Newborn Hearing Screening / 한양의대학술지

ABSTRACT

The incidence of bilateral profound hearing loss of newborns is 1 to 2 per 1,000 newborns. It is higher in infants with risk factors for hearing loss. Congenital hearing loss can cause many problems in language, learning, speech development and educational and occupational performance. Most developed countries have conducted the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) with automated otoacoustic emissions (AOAE) or automated auditory brainstem response (AABR). UNHS reduced the average age of identification of permanent hearing loss in infants 6 months or less after birth. This early identification and intervention of hearing loss with amplification and speech therapy optimizes communication during the early critical period of language acquisition and can improve language outcomes in children between 2 and 5 years of age. The aims of this paper are to explain the incidence of newborn hearing loss, the importance of early detection of hearing loss and intervention and newborn hearing screening methods.