[Screening for hearing disorders. Current status and bottlenecks].

In The Netherlands a nation-wide screening program on hearing for infants is available. This program started around the late sixties and is now incorporated in the Health Care System and added to the tasks of the Well Baby Clinics. A modification of the method as developed by the Ewings is used. This method is relatively easy to learn. It is, however, essential that it is executed accurately and with a maximum of care. Therefore the testing itself as well as the assessment of the results is strictly standardized and a lot of attention is given to the training program. The Dutch Foundation for the Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Child co-ordinates the screening program. About 75% of the 9 months old babies are screened and some 5% of the children has to be referred. The Ewing-test has proved to be effective. It detects both severe and moderate sensory-neural hearing-losses as well as conductive hearing-losses. However, the program faces us with a few difficulties: the structure is effective, though time-consuming; the referral-procedure is not always satisfactory. Due to different factors, some groups of children, sometimes at risk, are not covered by the screening program or any other program.