{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,13]],"date-time":"2026-03-13T15:12:52Z","timestamp":1773414772810,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,3]],"date-time":"2024-12-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1733184000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Neonatal hearing screening (NHS) is a critical public health measure for early identification of hearing loss, ensuring timely access to interventions that can dramatically improve a child\u2019s language development, cognitive abilities, and social inclusion. Beyond clinical benefits, NHS provides long-term advantages in education and quality of life. Given that congenital hearing loss affects approximately 1\u20132 in every 1000 newborns worldwide, the case for universal screening is clear. Countries like the United States and Australia have successfully implemented NHS, leading to earlier diagnoses, improved language development, and better educational outcomes. In Europe, while many nations have adopted NHS, consistency remains a challenge. Countries such as Norway and the United Kingdom stand out for their well-established systems, whereas others, like Greece, have made notable progress but have yet to mandate NHS nationwide. This highlights the need for cohesive national policies across Europe to ensure universal coverage. Screening methods such as Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAE) and Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) are established tools for detecting hearing impairments in neonates. Despite their demonstrated efficacy, NHS remains inconsistent globally, particularly in low- and middle-income regions that lack mandatory policies or access to reliable screening technologies. This perspective advocates for the urgent need to make NHS mandatory in all countries, emphasizing its societal benefits and cost-effectiveness. Early diagnosis supports prompt intervention, like hearing aids or cochlear implants, which are most effective when implemented before six months. It also empowers families to make informed decisions, fosters educational inclusion, and mitigates the social and emotional challenges of undiagnosed hearing loss. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and international organizations must prioritize universal NHS to ensure no child is left behind due to unaddressed hearing loss.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children11121479","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,3]],"date-time":"2024-12-03T04:01:29Z","timestamp":1733198489000},"page":"1479","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Making a Difference from Day One: The Urgent Need for Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0592-6921","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michail","family":"Athanasopoulos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Audiology, Otology, Neurotology & Cochlear Implant Unit, Athens Pediatric Center, 15125 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-2249-7068","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pinelopi","family":"Samara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Children\u2019s Oncology Unit \u201cMarianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA\u201d, Aghia Sophia Children\u2019s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-5685-4999","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georgios","family":"Batsaouras","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ioannis","family":"Athanasopoulos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Audiology, Otology, Neurotology & Cochlear Implant Unit, Athens Pediatric Center, 15125 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2014-307516","article-title":"The impact of universal newborn hearing screening on long-term literacy outcomes: A prospective cohort study","volume":"101","author":"Pimperton","year":"2016","journal-title":"Arch. 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