Infant Hearing Loss: Adherence to 1-3-6 Guidelines Is Insufficient

Screening by 1 month, detection by 3 months, and intervention by 6 months of age provide robust benefits, but nearly half of affected infants do not receive this care.

The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) guidelines recommend universal hearing screening of infants by 1 month, diagnosis of hearing loss by 3 months, and early intervention by 6 months of age. However, it is unclear how well these 1-3-6 guidelines are implemented and what their effect is on language outcomes.

To address these issues, researchers from the CDC's National Early Childhood Assessment Project assessed 448 children 8 to 39 months of age with bilateral, prelingual hearing loss. The children had received a diagnosis of hearing loss at a mean 4.1 months of age, and most used hearing aids.

Only 58% of participants received care that met the 1-3-6 EHDI guidelines. Overall, the children's language skills were far below normal…

Reviewing Author

Jenny Radesky, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMelissa & Doug Toys (Consultant and Board of Directors)

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute for Child Health and Development; National Institutes of Health

Jenny Radesky, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMelissa & Doug Toys (Consultant and Board of Directors)

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute for Child Health and Development; National Institutes of Health

Infant Hearing Loss: Adherence to 1-3-6 Guidelines Is Insufficient

Topics

Reviewing Author