The Journal of pediatrics
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The Journal of pediatrics · Jul 1999
Newborn hearing screening: will children with hearing loss caused by congenital cytomegalovirus infection be missed?
To predict whether universal newborn auditory screening will identify most infants with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) caused by congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. ⋯ Universal screening of hearing in neonates will detect less than half of all SNHL caused by congenital CMV infection. Because most infants with congenital CMV infection are without symptoms at birth, these children are unlikely to be recognized as being at risk for SNHL and will not receive further hearing evaluations to detect late-onset hearing loss. A combined approach of universal screening of neonates for hearing, as well as for detection of congenital CMV infection, needs to be considered.