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With required newborn hearing screening programs, the opportunity to confirm permanent hearing deficits within the first 3 months of life allows for early developmental interventions. To determine the frequency of confirmation of hearing loss by age 3 months and factors associated with delayed diagnosis, researchers reviewed medical records for 729 infants born in Minnesota from 2012 to 2016 who failed newborn screening and had confirmed deafness or hard of hearing (DHH).
Overall, 222 children (30%) failed to have DHH confirmed by 3 months of age (delayed identification). Factors associated with delayed identification included low birthweight, public insurance, rural residence, lower maternal education, maternal age <25 years, and maternal H…