A program implemented by most states as recommended by the NIH Consensus Development Conference on Early on Early Identification of Hearing Loss in 1993. The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) program states that all babies should receive a hearing screening before they leave the hospital after birth.
Screening is performed using objective measurements such as otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and/or automated auditory brainstem response (ABR). The goal of the program is to identify and manage all hearing impairment as soon as possible, in order to alleviate the negative effects of hearing loss on speech and language development.
