Identification of permanent hearing loss in children: are the targets for outcome measures attainable?

A collaborative nine-centre study was designed to follow the routes to iden tification of all children up to the age of seven years newly diagnosed wit h permanent hearing impairment (greater than or equal to 50 dB HL) during t he period 1993-1994. Ages of identification were compared with the standard s set by the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), ascertaining whether these targets could be achieved with current service provision. Of the 126 children identified, 104 had congenital sensorineural hearing loss: 19% wer e identified by the age of six months and 39% by their first year. These re sults fall short of the NDCS targets of 40% and 80%, respectively, and poin t to the need for modifications of current practice, such as the introducti on of universal neonatal screening.