The impact of universal newborn hearing screening on long-term literacy outcomes: a prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether the benefits of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) seen at age 8 years persist through the second decade.

Design

Prospective cohort study of a population sample of children with permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) followed up for 17 years since birth in periods with (or without) UNHS.

Setting

Birth cohort of 100 000 in southern England.

Participants

114 teenagers aged 13-19 years, 76 with PCHI and 38 with normal hearing. All had previously their reading assessed aged 6-10 years.

Interventions

Birth in periods with and without UNHS; confirmation of PCHI before and after age 9 months.

Main outcome measure

Reading comprehension ability. Regression modelling took account of severity of hearing loss, non

SUBMITTER: Pimperton H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4717422 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature