Tuesday, March 23, 1999

Washington, D.C. -- Congresswoman Lois Capps today was joined by representatives from the Deafness Research Foundation and National Campaign for Hearing Health in a press conference kicking off "The National Campaign for Hearing Health" -- a five-year public service campaign to make lifelong hearing health a priority.

"Health care experts clearly agree early hearing screenings lead to early treatment. The National Campaign for Hearing Health will help draw attention to this very serious and highly treatable condition," said Capps. "Enabling parents to check their children as soon as possible is the only caring and cost-effective thing to do."

Capps called on Congress to pass legislation to provide early hearing detection for all newborns. Capps, a former school nurse, is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Early Hearing Loss, Detection, Diagnosis and Intervention Act -- legislation to establish infant hearing screening programs. The measure would provide federal funds in the form of block grants directly to states to aid in the development of screening projects for infants and newborns.

"As a school nurse, I have personally administered hundreds of hearing screenings. As a member of the House Commerce Committee which will vote on infant screening legislation, I believe Congress should act now to correct this glaring health care oversight for our nation’s children," Capps said.

Capps was also joined by Heather and Rob Young of Denver, Colorado. All three of the Youngs’ children have acute hearing loss -- a condition which may have been exacerbated by a late diagnosis. This bipartisan bill would support new technological advances which would make screening possible in newborns, so babies could be outfitted with hearing aids when they are as young as three months old.

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