Every year, 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 babies in the U.S. are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. That’s over 12,000 newborns annually. Without timely screening and coordinated intervention, these children risk delayed speech, language, and social development; delays that can last a lifetime.

The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program at the CDC has provided critical national leadership:

• Supporting state-level tracking systems so no child falls through the cracks
• Monitoring national benchmarks for timely screening, diagnosis, and enrollment in intervention
• Producing the only federal data that allows states and policymakers to measure and improve newborn hearing care

But this year, the CDC eliminated its entire internal EHDI branch, silently, without public warning. This action may not be a technical violation of the EHDI Act of 2022, but it absolutely violates the spirit of the law and jeopardizes the infrastructure that thousands of families depend on.

Without CDC leadership, states will struggle to meet quality benchmarks, share data across agencies, and prevent loss to follow-up. Without national surveillance, Congress and the public will lose visibility into how newborns are—or are not—getting care. And without accountability, infants born with hearing loss will face longer delays and fewer options.

This is not a partisan issue. This is about protecting children, supporting families, and honoring public health commitments. The CDC’s internal EHDI program must be immediately restored, ensure adequate staffing and funding, and fulfill the federal obligations of the EHDI Act.

The EHDI Act of 2022 reauthorized and funded these responsibilities, but the reported elimination of CDC’s EHDI infrastructure undermines the law’s intent and leaves states without the technical assistance and federal coordination they depend on.

Without urgent action, children across the U.S. will be left behind.

Please sign and share this petition. If you are an audiologist, early interventionist, parent, or advocate, your voice matters. Together, we can protect the systems that ensure every baby has the chance to hear, speak, and thrive.

#SaveEHDI #ProtectNewbornHearing #RestoreCDCEHDI

We, the undersigned audiologists, healthcare professionals, parents, and concerned citizens, call on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and members of Congress to immediately restore and protect the CDC’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) branch.

We urge Congress and HHS to take immediate steps to:

- Reinstate the CDC’s EHDI program infrastructure
- Ensure staffing and funding is aligned with the statutory responsibilities
- Prevent further disruption to national data collection and support services

Protect EHDI. Protect newborns. Protect the future.