A Multisite Study to Examine the Efficacy of the Otoacoustic Emission/Automated Auditory Brainstem Response Newborn Hearing Screening Protocol

Recommendations for Policy, Practice, and Research

¹ Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY
² National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, Utah State University, Logan
³ University of Hawaiì, Honolulu
⁴ University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City
⁵ Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI
⁶ Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women, Orlando, FL
⁷ Via Christi Regional Medical Center, Wichita, KS
⁸ New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation, Hampton, CT
⁹ Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY
¹⁰ Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
¹¹ Kapiòlani Medical Center for Women and Infants, Honolulu, HI

gravel{at}email.chop.edu

Purpose: This article examines whether changes in hearing screening practices are warranted based on the results of the recent series of studies by J. L. Johnson, K. R. White, J. E. Widen, J. S. Gravel, B. R. Vohr, M. James, T. Kennalley, A. B. Maxon, L. Spivak, M. Sullivan-Mahoney, Y. Weirather, and S. Meyer (Johnson, White, Widen, Gravel, James, et al., 2005; Johnson, White, Widen, Gravel, Vohr, et al., 2005; White et al., 2005; Widen et al., 2005) that found a significant number of infants who passed an automated auditory brainstem response (A-ABR) screening after failing an initial otoacoustic emission (OAE) screening later were found to have permanent hearing loss in one or both ears.

Method: Similar to the approach used by F. H. Bess and J. Paradise (1994), this article addresses the public health tenets that need to be in place before screening programs, or in this case, a change in screening practice (use of a 2-step screening protocol) can be justified.

Results: There are no data to suggest that a 2-step OAE/A-ABR screening protocol should be avoided.

Conclusion: Research is needed before any change in public policy and practice surrounding current early hearing detection and intervention programs could be supported.

Key Words: newborn hearing screening, otoacoustic emissions, automated auditory brainstem response, visual reinforcement audiometry

Submitted on June 13, 2005
Accepted on November 14, 2005

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