TY - JOUR
T1 - Population outcomes of three approaches to detection of congenital hearing loss
AU - Wake, Melissa
AU - Ching, Teresa Y C
AU - Wirth, Karen
AU - Poulakis, Zeffie
AU - Mensah, Fiona K.
AU - Gold, Lisa
AU - King, Alison
AU - Bryson, Hannah E.
AU - Reilly, Sheena
AU - Rickards, Field
PY - 2016/1
Y1 - 2016/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Universal newborn hearing screening was implemented worldwide largely on modeled, not measured, long-term benefits. Comparative quantification of population benefits would justify its high cost. Methods: Natural experiment comparing 3 population approaches to detecting bilateral congenital hearing loss (>25 dB, better ear) in Australian states with similar demographics and services: (1) universal newborn hearing screening, New South Wales 2003-2005, n = 69; (2) Risk factor screening (neonatal intensive care screening + universal risk factor referral), Victoria 2003-2005, n = 65; and (3) largely opportunistic detection, Victoria 1991-1993, n = 86. Children in (1) and (2) were followed at age 5 to 6 years and in (3) at 7 to 8 years. Outcomes were compared between states using adjusted linear regression. Results: Children were diagnosed younger with universal than risk factor screening (adjusted mean difference -8.0 months, 95% confidence interval -12.3 to -3.7). For children without intellectual disability, moving from opportunistic to risk factor to universal screening incrementally improved age of diagnosis (22.5 vs 16.2 vs 8.1 months, P <.001), receptive (81.8 vs 83.0 vs 88.9, P =.05) and expressive (74.9 vs 80.7 vs 89.3, P <.001) language and receptive vocabulary (79.4 vs 83.8 vs 91.5, P <.001); these nonetheless remained well short of cognition (mean 103.4, SD 15.2). Behavior and health-related quality of life were unaffected. Conclusions: With new randomized trials unlikely, this may represent the most definitive population-based evidence supporting universal newborn hearing screening. Although outperforming risk factor screening, school entry language still lagged cognitive abilities by nearly a SD. Prompt intervention and efficacy research are needed for children to reach their potential.
AB - BACKGROUND: Universal newborn hearing screening was implemented worldwide largely on modeled, not measured, long-term benefits. Comparative quantification of population benefits would justify its high cost. Methods: Natural experiment comparing 3 population approaches to detecting bilateral congenital hearing loss (>25 dB, better ear) in Australian states with similar demographics and services: (1) universal newborn hearing screening, New South Wales 2003-2005, n = 69; (2) Risk factor screening (neonatal intensive care screening + universal risk factor referral), Victoria 2003-2005, n = 65; and (3) largely opportunistic detection, Victoria 1991-1993, n = 86. Children in (1) and (2) were followed at age 5 to 6 years and in (3) at 7 to 8 years. Outcomes were compared between states using adjusted linear regression. Results: Children were diagnosed younger with universal than risk factor screening (adjusted mean difference -8.0 months, 95% confidence interval -12.3 to -3.7). For children without intellectual disability, moving from opportunistic to risk factor to universal screening incrementally improved age of diagnosis (22.5 vs 16.2 vs 8.1 months, P <.001), receptive (81.8 vs 83.0 vs 88.9, P =.05) and expressive (74.9 vs 80.7 vs 89.3, P <.001) language and receptive vocabulary (79.4 vs 83.8 vs 91.5, P <.001); these nonetheless remained well short of cognition (mean 103.4, SD 15.2). Behavior and health-related quality of life were unaffected. Conclusions: With new randomized trials unlikely, this may represent the most definitive population-based evidence supporting universal newborn hearing screening. Although outperforming risk factor screening, school entry language still lagged cognitive abilities by nearly a SD. Prompt intervention and efficacy research are needed for children to reach their potential.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84954167826&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1542/peds.2015-1722
DO - 10.1542/peds.2015-1722
M3 - Article
C2 - 26704085
AN - SCOPUS:84954167826
SN - 0031-4005
VL - 137
SP - 1
EP - 10
JO - Pediatrics
JF - Pediatrics
IS - 1
M1 - e20151722
ER -