Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Review Of Internet Resources Related To Spoken Language Intervention For Spanish-Speaking Parents Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Karen F. Munoz, Lauri H. Nelson Phd, Brittan Barker

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify website information related to hearing loss, hearing technology, and spoken language development available to Spanish-speaking parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH).

Design: An exploratory, descriptive design was used to determine the presence or absence of parent education information on a variety of websites.

Study Sample: The study explored Internet resources provided by national, state, and parent support organizations in the United States.

Results: A total of 53 organization websites were identified that had information for parents of DHH children learning spoken language, eight of which were …

Infant Diagnostic Evaluation Via Teleaudiology Following Newborn Screening In Eastern North Carolina, Andrew Stuart

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Universal newborn hearing screening in North Carolina began in 2000 under the auspices of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (NC-EHDI). Despite initial success, loss to follow-up/lost to documentation for diagnostic testing was problematic. To address this, the NC-EHDI received U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration lost to follow-up funding to in part fund a pilot “Teleaudiology Project” in 2010 to provide services for infants in eastern North Carolina. This part of the state is a traditionally underserved area. The project involved a partnership with …

How Many Babies With Hearing Loss Will Be Missed By Repeated Newborn Hearing Screening With Otoacoustic Emissions Due To Statistical Artifact?, Karl R. White, Lauri H. Nelson, Karen F. Munoz

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Objective: People who manage newborn hearing screening programs are often told that repeating OAE hearing screening more than two or three times per ear unacceptably increases the probability of false-negatives (i.e., passing babies who have permanent hearing loss). This study evaluated the accuracy of that recommendation.

Design: A 2.0 cc coupler and three human ears with hearing loss were used to estimate the number of false-negative results per 1,000 OAE screening tests. Using those results, together with the prevalence of hearing loss among newborns, we calculated the number of babies that would be missed due to repeated testing.

Results: If …

Late Newborn Hearing Screening, Late Follow-Up, And Multiple Follow-Ups Increase The Risk Of Incomplete Audiologic Diagnosis Evaluation, Tri Tran, Ian Ng, Thiravat Choojitarom, Jeanette Webb, Wendy Jumonville, Mary Jo Smith, Terri Ibieta, Melinda Peat, Susan Berry

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

This study aimed to determine whether the following factors were associated with an incomplete audiologic diagnosis evaluation (IAD): age at newborn screening, length of time between newborn screening and first follow-up, and total number of follow-ups. 2011-2013 linked Louisiana Early Hearing Detection and Intervention data and birth records were analyzed. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate different effects of the predictors on IAD among birth weight groups. In very low birth weight newborns, there were no statistical associations of IAD with age at NHS or length of time between NHS and first follow-up, but there was with the number …

Losing Ground: Awareness Of Congenital Cytomegalovirus In The United States, Sara M. Doutre, Tyson S. Barrett, Janelle Greenlee, Karl R. White

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

One in 150 infants is born with cytomegalovirus (CMV) and one in 750 will have lifelong disabilities due to CMV. Even though congenital CMV is the leading viral cause of congenital disabilities and the leading non-genetic cause of childhood hearing loss, most adults have never heard of it. Data from the 2015 and 2016 HealthStyles^TM surveys were analyzed and compared to data from similar studies and show an awareness rate of 7% for US adults (5% for men and 9% for women), a statistically significant decrease from 2005 and 2010 studies. Predictors of awareness include gender and education level. …

Home Visiting Programs For Families Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing: A Systematic Review, Nannette Nicholson, Patti Martin, Abby Smith, Sheila Thomas, Ahmad A. Alanazi M.Aud.

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Prelingual hearing loss greatly restricts a child’s language development, hindering his or her behavioral, cognitive and social functioning. Although technology such as hearing aids and cochlear implants are an option for providing access to sound, they fail to teach the child how to listen or attend, how to process language (whether visual or spoken), or how to produce language and communicate. Home visiting is widely recognized as a cost-effective intervention service delivery model. Home visiting programs for promoting language development in children who are diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing have been in existence for over 50 years, yet …

Time Trend And Factors Associated With Late Enrollment In Early Intervention Among Children With Permanent Hearing Loss In Louisiana 2008-2013, Tri Tran, Yao Wang, Mary Jo Smith, Brenda Sharp, Terri Ibieta, Jeanette Webb, Wendy Jumonville, Melinda Peat, Susan Berry

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

This study aimed to identify the time trend of and factors associated with late enrollment in early intervention (EI) services among children with permanent hearing loss (HL) born between 2008 and 2013 in Louisiana. 2008-2013 linked Louisiana Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, birth records, EarlySteps (IDEA, Part C), Parent-Pupil Education Program, and Medicaid data were analyzed. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the trend and associations of mother and child’s demographic and hearing loss characteristics with late EI enrollment. Results of data analyses did not show any trend of late enrollment in EI services from 2008 to 2013. Delayed …

Prevalence And Trends Of Childhood Hearing Loss Based On Federally-Funded National Surveys: 1994–2013, Tyson S. Barrett, Karl R. White

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

A recent highly cited publication, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), concluded that the prevalence of childhood hearing loss in the United States is increasing (Shargorodsky, Curan, Curhan, & Eavey, 2010). This article examines the accuracy of that conclusion based on additional data from three nationally-representative surveys of childhood health. Using data from NHANES, the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), logistic regression was used to assess trends from audiometry-measured and parent-reported childhood hearing loss.

In contrast to prior research, the results were highly conflicting. NHANES suggested both …

Progress In Standardization Of Reporting And Analysis Of Data From Early Hearing Detection And Intervention (Ehdi) Programs, Suhana Alam, Ashley Satterfield, Xidong Deng, Craig A. Mason

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Congenital hearing loss affects one to three of every 1,000 live born infants. If left undetected, it may negatively impact children through delayed speech and language development. To help avoid developmental delays and ensure that deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) infants are identified and receiving services as early as possible, complete and accurate data are crucial. Despite substantial progress made over the years, some children are still delayed in identification and/or lost to the early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) surveillance and tracking systems. Lack of standardization in data reporting contributes to this issue. This article discusses reasons for …

Maternal Anxiety Associated With Newborn Hearing Screening, Stephen J. Tueller, Karl R. White

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

The purpose of this study was to determine if newborn hearing screening increases maternal anxiety. Mothers whose infants were screened for hearing were asked how worried they were prior to hospital discharge and again six weeks later. They were also asked if they were more concerned about their baby’s hearing than they were about other aspects of the infant’s health and behavior.

Results showed that mothers worried as much or more about many other aspects of their infants’ health and behavior as about hearing. Mothers whose infants had a false positive screening result were initially more worried about hearing than …

Readability, User-Friendliness, And Key Content Analysis Of Newborn Hearing Screening Brochures, Nannette C. Nicholson, Samuel R. Atcherson, Patti F. Martin, Mary Gunn Spragins, Lauren Schlagenhauf, Richard I. Zraick

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Readability, user-friendliness, and key content are important components of newborn screening brochure design. Health information at a sixth grade or below reading level, designed for ease of navigation, with easily identifiable “action steps” can help adults with limited literacy skills find, understand, and use health information. The purpose of this study was to quantify the readability, user-friendliness, and key content components of newborn hearing screening brochures. Five readability formulae (FRE, F–K GL, FOG, FORCAST, and SMOG) were used to estimate reading levels of English language EHDI brochures (N = 48). Twenty-three participants assessed brochures for user-friendliness. Three participants assessed …

Wic Participation As A Risk Factor For Loss To Follow-Up In The Wisconsin Ehdi System, Elizabeth L. Seeliger, Rebecca A. Martin, Andrea N. Gromoske, Anne B. Harris

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

In 2011, Wisconsin’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program, Wisconsin Sound Beginnings (WSB), developed multiple strategies to reduce loss to follow-up (LTFU) for babies who did not pass their newborn hearing screening: Medical Outreach, Family Outreach, Regional Outreach and WIC Alert. WSB evaluated the outcomes of babies identified as at-risk for LTFU to determine whether WIC participation was an indicator of their risk for LTFU. Additionally, WSB evaluated whether babies who were identified as at-risk for LTFU and receiving WIC services in two WIC projects serving areas and populations with known health disparities, were at even greater risk for …

Professional Competence To Promote Resilience For Children Living In Poverty, Jenna M. Voss, Susan Lenihan

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Poverty has a tremendous impact on the educational results of all children, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. With targeted, evidence-based interventions during the first three years of life, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) professionals can protect children from the numerous risk factors which impede development. While EHDI professionals often serve children and families living in poverty, it remains the case that the professional preparation programs offer limited instruction and experience in how to best serve children and families living in poverty. The purpose of this study was to explore professional preparedness to serve children who …

Outsourcing Hospital-Based Newborn Hearing Screening: Key Questions And Considerations, Randi L. Winston, Jackson Roush

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

This article reviews the essential components of a high quality newborn hearing screening program and it examines important questions and considerations for hospitals considering outsourcing of newborn hearing screening. Specific issues include hiring, training, and evaluation of personnel; special considerations for the NICU; implications of a screening model that requires families to “opt-in”; implications for choice of technology; instrumentation and screening protocols; tracking and surveillance for infants who do not pass the initial screening; billing and collection practices; and the impact of outsourcing on a hospital’s institutional mission.

The Role Of Family-Led Disability Organizations In Supporting Families With Hearing-Related Concerns, Diane D. Behl, Janet Desgeorges, Karl R. White

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

A survey was conducted with state level chapters from Family Voices, Parent Training and Information Centers, and Parent–to-Parent USA to understand their current activities support families of children with hearing-related concerns and to identify gaps in their ability to support families of children who are D/HH. these organizations reported that they are contacted with parent requests for information in regard to family support opportunities, early intervention, referral sources pertaining to hearing concerns, financial help, and providing information about legal rights. Results showed that the greatest challenges for these organizations were related to needing to connect families to financial resources pertaining …

Effective And Efficient Pre-School Hearing Screening: Essential For Successful Ehdi, James W. Hall

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Effective and efficient pre-school hearing screening is an essential component of a successful EHDI program.