據10月20日刊《美國醫學會雜誌》上的一項研究披露，與那些接受行為測試聽力篩檢的嬰兒相比，那些接受過新生兒聽力篩檢的罹患永久性聽力損害的孩子在其3-5歲時期的總體及語言發育結果及生活品質會比較好。
永久性的孩提時聽力損害是一種嚴重而且相對常見的疾病。根據文章的背景資料，聽覺輸入對發育及社交功能都是必不可少的，所以早期了解一個孩子的聽覺能力對在必要時創造早期聽覺放大機會來說是很重要的。文章的作者寫道：「直到幾年前，人們在孩子9個月大的時候用分心聽力篩檢（行為測試）法來進行聽力篩檢。新生兒聽力篩檢（在出生2周內進行）已被引進到許多的發達國家之中，因為人們認為，診斷孩提時永久性聽力損害的時間越早，孩子在發育上的劣勢也越小。然而，到目前為止還不存在需要普遍開展新生兒聽力篩檢的強有力的證據。」
荷蘭萊頓的萊頓大學醫學中心的Anna M. H. Korver, M.D., Ph.D.及其同事對在3-5歲時接受分心聽力篩檢的罹患永久性孩提時聽力損害的孩子的發育結果與接受新生兒聽力篩檢的孩子的發育結果之間的關聯性進行了研究。在該研究期間，在某個提供新生兒聽力篩檢測試的地區有33萬5560位孩子出生，而在某個提供分心聽力篩檢測試的地區則有23萬4826位孩子出生。在跟蹤隨訪時，在提供新生兒聽力篩檢測試地區中有263個孩子被診斷患有永久性孩提時期的聽力損害（相當於每1000個孩子中有0.78人），在提供分心聽力篩檢測試地區則有171個孩子被診斷患有永久性孩提時期的聽力損害（相當於每1000個孩子中有0.73人）。
有301個孩子（佔69.4%）參加了一般性表現測試分析。在這一分析中，這2組人（新生兒聽力篩檢組, n=183; 分心聽力篩檢組，n=118）在聽力損害程度和教育類型上都差不多。廣泛性發育結果的分析包括了80名出生在接受新生兒聽力篩檢測試地區的孩子及70名出生在接受分心聽力篩檢測試地區的孩子。該分析顯示，總體來說，與那些出生在分心聽力篩檢測試地區的孩子相比，那些出生在接受新生兒聽力篩檢地區的孩子的發育後果的評分較高，其中包括社交能力發育、總體運動發育和生活品質的測試評分。
文章的作者寫道：「本研究的結果為假設的普遍實行新生兒聽力篩檢測試計劃的重要性和有效性增添了證據。因為這項研究是在連續三年中，在所有出生在荷蘭的孩子中所開展的全國範圍內的研究，因此我們認為，我們的結果對其它提供普遍性聽力篩檢計劃的國家也具有普遍性，但在其它國家中開展新生兒聽力篩檢計劃的可行性和有效性仍有待研究。」（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦英文摘要：
JAMA. 2010;304(15):1701-1708. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1501
Newborn Hearing Screening vs Later Hearing Screening and Developmental Outcomes in Children With Permanent Childhood Hearing Impairment
Anna M. H. Korver, MD, PhD; Saskia Konings, MD; Friedo W. Dekker, PhD; Mieke Beers, PhD; Capi C. Wever, MD, PhD; Johan H. M. Frijns, MD, PhD; Anne M. Oudesluys-Murphy, MB, PhD; for the DECIBEL Collaborative Study Group
Context Newborn hearing screening programs have been implemented in many countries because it was thought that the earlier permanent childhood hearing impairment is detected, the less developmentally disadvantaged children would become. To date, however, no strong evidence exists for universal introduction of newborn hearing screening.
Objective To study the effect of newborn hearing screening vs distraction hearing screening, conducted at 9 months of age, on development, spoken communication, and quality of life.
Design, Setting, and Participants Between 2002 and 2006, all 65 regions in the Netherlands replaced distraction hearing screening with newborn hearing screening. Consequently, the type of hearing screening offered was based on availability at the place and date of birth and was independent of developmental prognoses of individual children. All children born in the Netherlands between 2003 and 2005 were included. At the age of 3 to 5 years, all children with permanent childhood hearing impairment were identified. Evaluation ended December 2009.
Main Outcome Measures Performance (education and spoken and signed communication), development (general and language), and quality of life.
Results During the study period, 335 560 children were born in a newborn hearing screening region and 234 826 children in a distraction hearing screening region. At follow-up, 263 children in newborn hearing screening regions (0.78 per 1000 children) and 171 children in distraction hearing screening regions (0.73 per 1000 children) had been diagnosed with permanent childhood hearing impairment. Three hundred one children (69.4%) participated in analysis of general performance measures. There was no difference between groups in the primary mode of communication or type of education. Analysis of extensive developmental outcomes included 80 children born in newborn hearing screening regions and 70 in distraction hearing screening regions. Multivariate analysis of variance showed that overall, children in newborn hearing screening regions had higher developmental outcome scores compared with children in distraction hearing screening regions (Wilks = 0.79; F12 = 2.705; P = .003). For social development, the mean between-group difference in quotient points was 8.8 (95% CI, 0.8 to 16.7) and for gross motor development, 9.1 (95% CI, 1.1 to 17.1). For quality of life, the mean between-group difference was 5.3 (95% CI, 1.7 to 8.9), also in favor of children in newborn hearing screening regions.
Conclusion Compared with distraction hearing screening, a newborn hearing screening program was associated with better developmental outcomes at age 3 to 5 years among children with permanent childhood hearing impairment.