January 27, 2013
Co-Chairs Senator Gerratana, Representative Johnson, ranking members Senator Welch, Representative Srinivasan and members of the public health committee, thank you for raising these bills and bringing them to public hearing for the opportunity to submit written testimony in support of HB 5988, HB 5991
and HB 6214.
Survey data from the Center for Disease Control suggest that 12.5% of school aged children (6-19) are demonstrating hearing losses consistent with noise exposure (Niskar et al., 2001). Our current hearing screening guidelines did not consider noise-induced hearing loss when they were developed and are inadequate for identifying this type of hearing loss that we now know is a significant concern. Data has shown that 78% of children diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss (identified in the Niskar 2001 study) would be missed if they were tested with our current hearing screening guidelines. For this reason, I support modifying hearing screening guidelines to better identify this type of hearing loss.
The American Academy of Audiology Hearing Screening Summary recommends screening “for high frequency hearing loss where efforts to provide education on hearing loss prevention exist.” The school setting is the ideal place to identify and educate children about this public health issue. The implementation of a hearing screening program at the high school level, has several implications in terms of resources as it is not required at all in school. Therefore, research would be necessary to explore further the incidence of hearing loss in this population and make appropriate recommendations for a cost effective screening program.
Once a child fails a hearing screening, irreversible damage has already occurred and can continue to worsen. However, it is preventable. In order to prevent the incidence and progression of noise-induced hearing loss, education to parents of young children would help to change the culture that suggests louder is better and to educate families that it doesn’t have to hurt to create permanent damage.
Christine D. Hare, Au.D., CCC-A
Clinical Audiologist
References:
Niskar AS, Kieszak SM, Holmes AE, Esteban E, Rubin C, Brody DJ,
Estimated prevalence of noise-induced hearing threshold shifts among children 6 to 19 years of age: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994, United States
Pediatrics. 2001 Jul;108(1):40-3.
Meinke & Dice
Comparison of Audiometric Screening Criteria for the Identification of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Adolescents
American Journal of Audiology. December 2007;Vol. 16, S190-S202.
American Academy of Audiology Fact Sheet
http://www.audiology.org/resources/consumer/Documents/FSHearingLossChildren08.pdf
Robert V. Harrison PhD DS, Noise induced hearing loss in children; a “less than silent” environmental danger. http://www.hearingfoundation.ca/User/Docs/Harrison_Noise_induced_hearing_loss_paper_formatted_1.pdf