Risk factors for which referral for audiological testing recommended
| *Family history is recognised as being a difficult risk factor to determine accurately. Guidelines for inquiry about this factor were: “We are not interested in cases where there has been progressive loss in adulthood or where there are family members who have had a chronic ear disease. We are interested in families where a blood relative was born deaf or became deaf in the first five years of life. This may have been indicated by the wearing of hearing aids or affected speech.” | |
| 1. | Family history of congenital hearing impairment* |
| 2. | Rubella, cytomegalovirus, or toxoplasmosis during pregnancy or other perinatal infections |
| 3. | Birth asphyxia as defined by an Apgar score of less than 4 at five minutes of age |
| 4. | Birth weight below 1500 g |
| 5. | Exchange transfusion or serum bilirubin level greater than 350 μmol/l |
| 6. | Congenital abnormalities of the head and neck |
| 7. | Parental concern |
| 8. | Later risk factors, e.g. bacterial meningitis, developmental delay |