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Bridget M. Kuehn

JAMA. 2008;300(8):891.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 149 words of the full text and any section headings.

All newborns should be screened for congenital hearing loss before 1 month of age, according to a recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published in July (US Preventive Services Task Force. Pediatrics. 2008;122[1]:143-148). Those who do not pass this hearing test should then undergo otoacoustic emissions testing before they are 3 months old. The recommendation and a summary of evidence supporting it are available online at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsnbhr.htm.

In 2001, the USPSTF found insufficient evidence to recommend for or against such screening. A more recent review of the literature concluded that there is good evidence that such screening is highly accurate and leads to early identification and treatment of infants with hearing loss and that early intervention improves language outcomes.

Newborn hearing screening is already a common practice in many areas, and 39 states have laws either mandating or encouraging such screening.