Newborn Hearing Screening Programs in New England

From WikiGenetics

Each of the six New England states has a program to provide hearing screening to all newborns. Five states (all except Vermont) have a law mandating this screening. Babies are usually screened in the first few days of life, before they are discharged from the hospital. The testing, which is quick and painless, is done by one of two methods: otoacoustic emissions (OAE) or automatic brainstem response (ABR). Both of these methods involve placing tiny earplugs in the ear canals or earphones on the ears and using a computer to measure the baby’s reactions to sound. Babies who do not pass the first screening are retested and may be referred to an audiologist (hearing specialist).

[edit] Newborn hearing screening programs

Connecticut State of Connecticut Department of Public Health 410 Capitol Avenue, MS #11 MAT P.O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134-0308 (860) 509-8081 www.dph.state.ct.us/bch/ehdi/b_unhs.htm	Massachusetts Massachusetts Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program Bureau of Family and Community Health 250 Washington Street Boston, MA 02108 (800) 882-1435 www.mass.gov/dph/fch/unhsp/index.htm
Maine Maine Newborn Hearing Program 11 Statehouse Station 286 Water Street Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 287-5357 www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/cshn/cshn	New Hampshire Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (EHDI) Maternal & Child Health Section 29 Hazen Drive Concord, NH 03301 (603) 271-1037 www.dhhs.state.nh.us/dhhs/mch.htm
Rhode Island Rhode Island Hearing Assessment Program Women and Infants Hospital Dudley Street Providence, RI 02905 (401) 274-1122 x1844 www.health.state.ri.us/family/hearing/universal.php	Vermont Vermont Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program 108 Cherry Street, P.O. Box 70 Burlington, VT 05402 (800) 660-4427 x1330 www.healthvermont.gov/family/hearing/newborn.aspx

[edit] Reference

Genetic Alliance. 2007. Understanding Genetics: A Guide for Patients and Health Care Professionals. http://www.geneticalliance.org/ws_display.asp?filter=pubs.understanding.genetics