Newborn Hearing Screening

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against routine screening of newborns for hearing loss during the postpartum hospitalization.

There is good evidence that newborn hearing screening leads to earlier identification and treatment of infants with hearing loss. However, evidence to determine whether earlier treatment resulting from screening leads to clinically important improvement in speech and language skills at age 3 years or beyond is inconclusive because of the design limitations in existing studies.

The USPSTF Recommendations and Rationale, Summary of Evidence, and Systematic Review are available below.

• Recommendations and Rationale (PDF File, 72 KB; PDF Help).
• Summary of the Evidence (PDF File, 132 KB; PDF Help).
• Systematic Evidence Review.
• Press Release.

Current as of October 2001

Internet Citation:

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Newborn Hearing Screening. October 2001. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/newbornscreen/