Policy & Practice

Newborn Hearing Screening Urged

All newborn infants should be screened for congenital hearing loss that is present at birth, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended. The task force gave screening a B recommendation, meaning that, “there is moderate certainty that the net benefit is moderate to substantial.” Congenital hearing loss occurs in approximately 1-3 infants/1,000; infants at high risk include those who have spent more than 2 days in a neonatal ICU, those diagnosed with certain syndromes, and those with a family history of childhood hearing loss, according to the task force. However, half of infants with hearing loss have no identifiable risk factors. Children whose hearing is impaired at birth, during infancy, or in early childhood can have problems with verbal and nonverbal communication and social skills, increased behavioral problems, and lower academic achievement, compared with children who have normal hearing, according to the task force. “Screening at birth allows for hearing loss to be detected early and is associated with better outcomes for infants who test positive,” said Dr. Ned Calonge, task force chairman.

Some Tween Web Use Risky

More than one in five “tweens” (children aged 8-12 years) post personal information online, including pictures, their hometown, and their age, according to a survey on Internet safety by cable company Cox Communications and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In addition, 27% of tweens aged 11-12 years admit to posting a fake age online, 28% of tweens have been contacted over the Internet by someone they don't know, and 11% have responded and chatted with an unknown person online, the survey found. Still, the poll found that most parents are discussing Internet safety with their children: 73% of the 1,015 tweens contacted said their parents had talked to them “a lot” about online safety. Children whose parents have discussed online safety are more likely to perceive posting personal information as unsafe, and also to tell their parents if they are contacted by a stranger, the survey found.

SCHIP Reporting Bill Introduced

Rep. Charles W. Boustany Jr. (R-La.) has introduced legislation that would require states to report how many children enrolled in the State Children's Health Insurance Plan actually receive a primary care visit each year. In addition, the legislation would encourage states to survey patients to determine if enrolled children are getting needed care in a timely manner. “Congress has a duty to ensure SCHIP coverage actually delivers timely care to enrolled children,” said Rep. Boustany, a cardiovascular surgeon, in a statement. “Studies show children with Medicaid or SCHIP receive fewer recommended checkups and fewer visits with primary care providers than [do] those with private coverage.” The bill also would require states to report their plans to target enrollment outreach to needy children who don't already have private coverage.

Child Skin Infections Rise

Children aged 4 years and younger were hospitalized with skin infections more than 34,000 times in 2006, a 150% increase from 2000, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The AHRQ analysis of hospitalization trends in children shows skin infections ranked as the 8th most common reason for child hospitalizations in 2006, up from 17th in 2000. Reasons for the increase were unclear but may be linked in part to increasing resistance to antibiotics, according to AHRQ. Meanwhile, respiratory diseases remained the top reason for child hospitalization, while other leading admissions of children in 2006 included gastritis; intestinal infections and other digestive disorders; meningitis, epilepsy, and other nervous system disorders; adolescent pregnancy; diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, and other metabolic or endocrine disorders; and depression, bipolar disease, and other mental disorders, according to AHRQ.

Patients Rate Own MDs Higher

Parents believe that their children's pediatricians always or almost always listen carefully to them and explain things in a way that is easy to understand, but they don't rate physicians and nurses in the same practice quite as highly, according to the second patient experience survey conducted by Massachusetts Health Quality Partners. The nonprofit coalition of physicians, patients, insurers, and hospitals asked 51,000 patients at 400 practices about their satisfaction on such issues as getting timely appointments, how well doctors know their patients, and how efficiently doctors coordinate care. More than 95% of parents responding said their child's doctor always or almost always listened to them and explained issues carefully, giving clear instructions about what to do about symptoms. But only about 85% of parents rated other doctors and nurses in the same practice as highly.