Infants tested for hearing loss--United States, 1999-2001.

Hearing loss (HL) occurs in one to three of 1,000 live births annually and, when left undetected, can result in developmental delays. To promote communication from birth, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs support early identification of infants with HL. Without EHDI programs, the average age of identification for HL is age 1.5-3.0 years, which is past the start of the critical period for optimal language acquisition. In 2001, a total of 48 states/areas with EHDI tracking and surveillance systems (30 funded by CDC) reported the percentage of newborns screened for HL. This report summarizes the results of an analysis of surveillance data for 1999-2001, which indicate that more infants were screened for HL, received diagnostic audiologic evaluations, and were enrolled in early intervention services in 2001 than in 1999 and 2000. Continued development of EHDI surveillance systems should assist states/areas in providing needed services to children with HL.