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Radiocast: Better Hearing and Speech Month
Debra: This is Healthcare 411: Information for better health. May is
Better Hearing and Speech Month, and that’s a good time to remind parents that
the leading independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care agree
every newborn should be screened for congenital hearing loss. Pediatrician and
former U.S. Preventive Services Task Force member Dr. Virginia Moyer explains
why:
Dr. Moyer: Since half of infants with hearing loss have no identifiable
risk factors, screening at birth for hearing loss should be a part of every
newborn’s health care.
Debra: Is testing painful?
Dr. Moyer: No. First we place a very sensitive microphone in the ear
canal that measures the ear’s response to sound. If we detect an issue, we do a
second test to check the brain’s response to sound. These quick and highly
accurate tests help to identify infants with hearing loss so they can be treated
early, when it will do the most good.
Debra: For more information, go to
healthcare411.ahrq.gov.
Healthcare 411 is produced by AHRQ, the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Debra
James for Healthcare 411.
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