Every day in the United States 33 babies are born with premature hearing loss approximately 2-3 out of 1,000 babies are born hard of hearing. Hearing loss is the most common birth defect in America which has moved legislators all over the country to mandate hearing screenings for newborns. Hearing screenings legislation for Maryland newborns was enacted in 2000 establishing the Maryland Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (MDEHDI).