School Recovers Legal Fees in IDEA Action 

The attorneys who represented a child with a hearing loss in an unsuccessful action under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act against a D.C. charter preschool must reimburse the school for $15,472 in legal fees. The U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, held that the plain facts of the case (Bridges Pub. Charter Sch. v. Barrie, 111 LRP 47722 [D.D.C. 07/11/11]), along with the parent's refusal to participate in a resolution session, proved the action was frivolous, baseless, and unreasonable. Search for "Bridges Barrie" on the Justia Dockets and Filings website.

Severe Hearing Loss Prevalent Among Veterans

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data from a 2010 survey to determine the prevalence of severe hearing impairment (SHI) among military veterans compared to nonveterans.

Adjusting for age and occupation, veterans were 30% more likely to have SHI than non-vets; those who served overseas between 2001 and 2010 were four times more likely than non-veterans to have SHI. The findings suggest a need for greater emphasis on hearing conservation and hearing loss surveillance in health systems for soldiers and veterans. Search "SHI" at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website.

Saliva Test for CMV

A National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders study at the University of Alabama has been seeking a simple, effective way to screen newborns for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, a leading cause of hearing loss in children. A 2010 study by the same researchers concluded that the heel-stick blood test was not effective, but the new study shows that a saliva test can detect the virus. Researchers used a molecular diagnostic procedure called real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis to determine whether CMV was present. Of the 20,000–30,000 infants who are born infected with CMV each year, up to 15% are at risk for developing hearing loss. Search "saliva CMV" at the National Institutes of Health Radio website.