This document provides a short overview of neonatal hearing screening in Western Europe. It discusses the incidence of congenital hearing loss, which affects approximately 1-6 per 1000 newborns. It also describes some of the equipment used for newborn hearing screening, including otoacoustic emissions testing and automated auditory brainstem response testing. The document reviews the status of neonatal hearing screening programs in several European countries in 2008, finding varying levels of screening coverage from under 1% to over 95%. It closes by emphasizing the importance of screening and early intervention to support children's development of communication skills.

1. Neonatal Hearing Screening
– a short overview of the situation in
Western Europe
Dr. Dr. h.c. Monika Lehnhardt, Germany
May 2009

2. Incidence per 10,000 of Congenital Defects/Diseases
ia
U em
PK An
ll
1
Ce
le sm
ck di
Si oi
yr
2
th
po
Hy a
fid
5
bi
a
in
Sp ct
s
fe
5 b
de
m
e
Lim ro
nd
6
Sy e
n at
w al
Do p
or
11
ip
tl
ef
Cl os
s
12
gL
in
ar
He
30
40
30
20
10
0

3. Deafness is not visible

5. Equipment for Newborn Hearing Screening
Otoacoustic Emissions Automated Auditory Brainstem
(OAE) Response (AABR)

6. Nucleus® Freedom™ CI System Modern Hearing Aids
(e.g. from Phonak)

7. ECDC- NHS
Milan, 15 - 16 May 1998
European Consensus Statement on
Neonatal Hearing
Screening
Finalised at the European Consensus Development
Conference on Neonatal Hearing Screening
15-16 May 1998, Milan
Chairman: F. Grandori

8. Germany

10. ~80%
?
~40%
~55%
>95%
?
<1%
~80%
Screening Coverage (2008)

11. Austria

12. Belgium

13. Netherlands

14. Switzerland

15. United Kingdom

16. Poland

17. Croatia

18. Spain

19. e ? ??
ut ur
F

20.
“Infants cannot complain of lack of hearing, and cannot
seek interventions we would surely not deny ourselves.
We can and we must do their complaining for them!”
Dr. Martyn Hyde

21. http://www.schenken-sie-kindern-gehoer.de
http://www.lehnhardt-stiftung.org
Email: ml@lehnhardt-stiftung.org
Email: m.lehnhardt@t-online.de