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Nancy Dalrymple: For infants with hearing loss, early detection is key
In an average year, anywhere from 80 to 240 babies in Washington are born with hearing loss, making it one of the most common birth defects. Three years ago, when Nancy Dalrymple joined Genetic Services, less than half of all infants were tested for hearing loss at birth. Since then, Nancy, who coordinates the Early Hearing Loss Detection, Diagnosis and Intervention Program, reports that more than 90 percent of infants are now screened for hearing loss. Within the next couple of months, all 68 of the state’s birthing hospitals will conduct newborn hearing screening and report results to the Department of Health. Nancy, who specialized in maternal and child health at Boston University in her master’s in public health program, has spent the past year traveling to birthing hospitals meeting with hospital administrators and training staff on hearing screening and how to report results. The program’s follow-up team then contacts primary care physicians of infants who will need further care. Infants who need further testing are referred to a pediatric audiologist. Nancy has led the development of a Web-based program used by audiologists to report diagnostic results and the child’s progress to the department. For those infants with hearing loss, early intervention is essential for speech and language development. Studies have shown that working with babies by six months of age will keep a child’s development on track. What is offered depends on the child’s needs and can include a variety of methods, including hearing aids and/or sign language training. Nancy has worked with programs around the state to ensure that specialists are trained to work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. |
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