Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention

Goal

Our goal is to develop and sustain a comprehensive coordinated system for Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention (UNHSI) in Georgia in which hospitals, primary health care providers, and Public Health work together to assure that:

  • Every newborn is screened for hearing loss prior to hospital discharge; infants not passing the initial and a repeat screening receive appropriate diagnostic evaluation before three months of age and, when appropriate, are referred to intervention by six months of age;

  • Infants are linked with medical homes and families receive culturally competent support throughout the screening, diagnostic, and intervention processes;
  • A data management system is developed and maintained to document
    • total number of births, number of infants screened, number passed, and number referred
    • number of infants with confirmed hearing loss
    • number of infants referred to intervention services; and
  • Essential information about Universal Newborn Hearing Screening is shared with parents, physicians, audiologists, and the general public.

History

As a result of the passage of a new law in 1999 (O.C.G.A. 31-1-3.2) , the Georgia Department of Public Health developed and implemented a statewide Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention (UNHSI) initiative.

The new law also created the State Advisory Committee for Newborn Hearing Screening (SACNHS) whose evolving membership includes pediatricians and other physicians, audiologists, parents of deaf or hearing impaired children, adults who are deaf or hearing impaired, nurses, legislators, hospital administrators, et. al. The Committee's mission was to advise the Division of Public Health and to recommend a comprehensive system of universal hearing screening for all newborns in Georgia to assure early detection of and intervention for hard of hearing and deaf children. The SACNHS sunset in 2005.

The Division of Public Health developed recommended guidelines for UNHSI. Hospitals are encouraged to work with their District Public Health Director and other community partners, such as pediatricians, pediatric audiologists, and otolaryngologists, to develop the infrastructure for a comprehensive UNHSI system. This system included the following components: universal newborn hearing screening, follow-up screening for babies who do not pass the in-hospital screen, diagnosis of hearing loss, and linkage to intervention.

The UNHSI 2001 Annual Report released by the Georgia Department of Public Health and the State Advisory Committee on Newborn Hearing Screening in December 2001, described the growth of newborn hearing screening in Georgia over the first year of the statewide initiative.

What's Happening In Georgia?

  • All Georgia birthing hospitals are required to report the numbers of newborns screened, the numbers who passed the screening, and the numbers of those screened who did not pass, on a quarterly basis. In addition, hospitals are required to report to Public Health, through the Children 1st Coordinator in each health district, any newborn who does not pass the hearing screening, to assure that babies are linked to the follow-up services they need.
  • The state office for UNHSI continues to collect and compile screening data from all Georgia birthing hospitals each quarter. Data from fiscal year 2009 indicated over 98% of Georgia's newborns had received a hearing screening prior to hospital discharge.
  • Currently, Georgia's hospitals show an overall "refer" rate of under 3%. The goal of Georgia’s UNHSI Program is for birthing hospitals to have an overall refer rate of less than 4%.
  • All licensed hospitals and physicians in Georgia are required to educate their patients about newborn hearing screening. Free UNHS brochures are available from the Public Health, Universal Hearing Screening and Intervention Program in English and Spanish.