Universal Newborn Hearing Screening to Begin

16 August 2007

Hawke’s Bay one of three DHBs to begin Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

In May 2006, the Government announced it would fund a Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme for all New Zealand infants. The National Screening Unit is currently planning the programme, which commenced in three District Health Boards (DHBs) in July 2007 with the intention of having the screening programme available in all areas of New Zealand by 2010.

Having a hearing screening programme for newborns will make sure those who have a hearing loss will be offered help much earlier. Up to 170 babies are born each year in New Zealand with permanent congenital hearing loss. Currently, without screening, hearing loss is not picked up in some children until they are nearly four years old.

Waikato, Tairawhiti (Gisborne) and Hawke’s Bay DHBs have been chosen for the initial roll out as they have already been providing newborn hearing screening and this experience will assist with implementing the new programme nationally. They are also in the same Group Special Education Central North region, ensuring that infants who are diagnosed with a hearing loss are offered a full range of intervention and family support services.

Since March 2006 Hawke’s Bay DHB has been easily and conveniently testing for hearing deficiencies in newborns passing through the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) thanks to the generosity of the Lions service for children appeal committee who donated $89,000 in February 2006 enabling the DHB to purchase newborn baby portable hearing screening equipment.

From 20th August the new programme will be rolled out to Hawke’s Bay Hospital maternity unit (Ata Rangi), Napier Health Centre maternity unit and Wairoa Hospital and Heatlh Centre maternity unit. From this date all babies born in the Hawke’s Bay Region will be offered a hearing screen.

Russell Wills, community paediatrician for the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board says “We continue to be extremely grateful to Lions for recognising this need earlier and taking up the fundraising challenge. We estimate that every year around seven babies are born in Hawke’s Bay with hearing difficulties that will affect their ability to talk and learn.”

The new programme will be closely linked to other antenatal and newborn screening activities and is designed to detect hearing loss at the earliest possible age and provide timely, appropriate and coordinated health and education early intervention services.

ENDS

Frequently asked questions - Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme

Why do all babies need to be screened?
Up to170 babies are born each year in New Zealand with permanent congenital hearing loss. Over half of those babies found to have a hearing loss have no known signs or risk factors, like serious illness or family history of hearing loss. So it is important to offer this screening to all babies.

Where is hearing screening offered?
From 1st July 2007 the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme will be offered to all babies in Waikato, Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti DHB’s. The roll out will continue throughout the rest of the country over the next 3 years. Updates as to screening availability in other areas will be available on the NSU Website www.nsu.govt.nz. However parents concerned about their child’s hearing, should discuss them with their GP, Well Child Provider or Early Childhood teacher.

Why is screening currently only offered at three DHBs?
Waikato, Tairawhiti and Hawke’s Bay DHBs have been chosen as they have already been providing newborn hearing screening and this experience will assist with implementing the new programme. They are also in the same Group Special Education Central North region, ensuring that infants that are diagnosed with a hearing loss are offered a full range intervention and family support services.
Currently other DHBs are testing babies identified as High Risk for hearing loss.

When will newborn’s hearing be screened?
For babies born with in Waikato, Tairawhiti, or Hawke’s Bay, ideally the screening will be done before baby goes home from the hospital. For babies who are not screened in hospital, hearing screening will be offered at a local clinic or as an outpatient at the hospital.

How will the baby’s hearing be screened?
Two types of screening test are used. aABR (automated Auditory Brainstem Response) tests the infants ability to hear soft sounds played through an earpiece or ear muffins. The response from the hearing nerve is picked up through special sensors that are placed on the baby’s head and these responses are recorded and stored in a computer. OAE (otoacoustic emissions) put a sound into the ear and measure the echo produced from the inner ear with a miniature microphone. The results of the screening test are available straight away.

Will it hurt baby?
The screening test for newborn hearing can be done simply and safely and is well accepted by family and whanau. Most babies will actually sleep through the hearing screening test, sometimes they may shuffle around a little while the ear piece/muffins are put on to them, but the screening test is painless and will not harm baby.

Who will screen baby’s hearing?
A trained hearing screener will carry out the screening test.

How long will it take?
The screen itself takes approximately 5-15 minutes if the baby is settled or sleeping. The results of the screening are available straight away.

What does it mean when baby passes the screening?
When baby passes the hearing screening test, this means that at the time of the screening baby’s hearing was good. However some types of hearing loss can develop during childhood. If parents have any concerns about their child’s hearing they should discuss them with their GP or Well Child Provider. A “Can my baby hear?” checklist can be found in the Well Child/ Tamariki Ora, Health book.

What does it mean if baby does not pass the hearing screening?
If baby does not pass the first screening test this does not necessarily mean that baby has a hearing loss. It could be that the baby was unsettled, there was too much noise in the room at the time of screening or that there maybe temporary fluid in the baby’s middle ear that can make it difficult to get an accurate result. In this case they be offered a repeat screening either before discharge or as an outpatient appointment.

What if baby needs to be referred to an audiologist?
If the baby does not pass the repeat screen, they will be referred to an audiologist, who will do a diagnostic ABR (auditory brainstem response) which is a more thorough testing of the baby’s hearing levels.

What are the Risk factors?
A Risk factor is a medical condition or event that is known to be associated with hearing loss. The presence of a risk factor does not necessarily mean that a hearing loss is inevitable; it does mean that a hearing loss was an outcome in an unusually high number of children with one or more of these specific conditions. The list of hearing loss factors includes the following:
• Family history of childhood hearing loss
• Infection during pregnancy (rubella, cytomegalovirus/CMV syphilis, herpes or toxoplasmosis)
• Anomalies of the head and neck (e.g. malformed outer ear, cleft palate)
• Low birth weight (under 1500g)
• Hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice)
• Bacterial Meningitis
• Ototoxic medications
• Mechanical Ventilation for more than 5 days
• Apgar scores of 0 to 4 at one minute or 0 – 6 at five minutes.

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