Olympia Snowe: “I rise today to introdnce the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2007. This bill is a companion bill to…”

“I rise today to introdnce the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2007. This bill is a companion bill to H.R. 1198, introduced in the House by Representative Lois Capps. I am pleased to be joined again this year by my colleague from Iowa, Senator Harkin, who has long been a champion of the hearing impaired. Together we worked to address hearing impairment in children in 1999, and today we unite again to achieve even greater progress for children. The number of Americans with a hearing loss has doubled during the past 30 years. Most of us associate hearing problems with the aging process, and it is true that the largest group of Americans suffering from hearing impairment are those in the 65 to 75 year age range. At the same time, each year more than 12,000 babies in the United States are born with permanent hearing loss. With another 2 to 3 of every 1,000 newborns suffering partial hearing loss, this is the number one birth defect in America. Unfortunately, hearing loss can go undiagnosed for years. In recent years, scientists have stressed how crucial the first years of a child's life are to their future development. Specialists in speech and language development tell us that the crucial period for developing speech and communication in a child's life can begin as early as 6 months of age.…”