[Community-based hearing screening project in Tochigi prefecture and results thorough audiometric test].

Community-based hearing screening projects have the objectives of screening hearing to identify early and intervene in cases of hearing-impaired infants and to consider how to implement mass screening, education, and support suitable. This project started in Tochigi prefecture in 2002. Of 6198 infants undergoing automatic auditory brainstem response (ABR), those rescreened accounted for 1.1% and those referred for diagnostic testing for 0.7%. After initial thorough audiometric testing, 20 infants were suggested to have bilateral hearing loss, although this was finally reduced to 17. Inconsistency between automatic and conventional ABR was found in 10 cases. Automatic ABR showed 7 false-positive and 3 false-negative cases, all of which finally proved to be within normal range hearing. Newborn-hearing screening enabled infants with hearing loss to be identified early. Japan has yet, however, to implement needed medical treatment and appropriate educational and support systems for hearing-impaired infants.