This document presents the consensus statement of a 2-day conference which addressed issues concerned with the early identification of hearing impairment. The conference resulted in the following consensus conclusions: (1) all infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit should be screened for hearing loss prior to discharge; (2) universal…

In response to O'Brien et al., who examined predictors of child outcomes among at-risk infants, this article suggests that the goal of prevention and early detection can be more efficiently met if the focus shifts from prediction to ongoing monitoring of children's developmental growth. A three-step model involving ongoing screening, eligibility…

This paper emphasizes the importance of testing infants for hearing loss in the newborn nursery and describes the screening program of the Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Clinic as a model. In the program, high risk neonates are identified through screening programs by hospital personnel or by community health nurses. (JDD)