Hearing Loss Screening: Recommendations and Guidelines

Newborn Screening Contingency Plan, Version II, 2017

The intent of the Contingency Plan is to facilitate collaboration among federal agencies and state, local, territorial, tribal, and regional efforts to screen newborns for identified conditions during a public health emergency. This effort is limited to those areas of the newborn screening system (screening test, diagnosis and follow-up, treatment and management, evaluation, and education), for which the state public health agency assumes an oversight role.

Read the Newborn Screening Contingency Plan [PDF – 25 MB]

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Guidelines

American Academy of Pediatrics EHDI has published guidelines for the medical home related to rescreening and loss to documentation.

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American Academy of Audiology Childhood Hearing Screening Guidelines, September 2011

The American Academy of Audiology endorses detection of hearing loss in early childhood and school‐aged populations using evidence‐based hearing screening methods. The goal of early detection of new hearing loss is to maximize perception of speech and the resulting attainment of linguistic‐based skills. Identification of new or emerging hearing loss in one or both ears followed by appropriate referral for diagnosis and treatment are first steps to minimizing these effects. Informing educational staff, monitoring chronic or fluctuating hearing loss, and providing education toward the prevention of hearing loss are important steps that are needed to follow mass screening if the impact of hearing loss is to be minimized.

Read more about this recommendation [PDF – 684 KB]

Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Position Statement

Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) is made up of representatives from national organizations dedicated to ensuring early identification, intervention and follow-up care of infants and young children with hearing loss.  Since its establishment in 1969, the JCIH has issued position statements with guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention.

CDC’s EHDI Guidance Manual

This resource from the CDC EHDI Team provides information that can help support state- and territorial-based EHDI programs in their tracking and surveillance activities. It builds on the 2003 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program Guidance Manual. The focus of this new version is on data and the EHDI information systems (EHDI-IS) that help ensure that all infants are screened for hearing loss and receive recommend diagnostic testing and intervention services.

Read the Guidance Manual

Early Identification of Hearing Loss: Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (An Implementation Guide)

From the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management

This electronic “e-book” outlines some of the most important issues which need to be addressed in implementing and operating a successful early identification of hearing loss program for newborns.

Read the guide