Screening for hearing loss in infants.

摘要

The socioeconomic impact of deafness as a disability is now well accepted. The global prevalence of deafness has more than doubled from 120 million in 1995 to 278 million in 2005.About 25% of this deafness is among children and almost 90% of these children live in developing countries.Loss of hearing may be congenital or may develop later in childhood. The commonly used term for these conditions is 'Permanent congenital and early onset hearing loss' (PCEHL). Early detection of PCEHL can lead to effective interventions. In 1995, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution urging countries to develop national plans within their existing primary healthcare framework for early detection of hearing loss in children.