This consensus statement on early identification of hearing impairment in infants and young children was developed by a nonadvocate, non-Federal panel of 58 experts during a 3-day meeting in 1993. The panel concluded that: (1) all infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit should be screened for hearing loss prior to discharge; (2) universal screening should be implemented for all infants within the first 3 months of life; (3) the preferred model for screening should begin with an evoked otoacoustic emissions test, followed by an auditory brainstem response for infants failing the first test; (4) comprehensive intervention and management programs must be an integral part of a universal screening program; (5) universal neonatal screening should not be a replacement for ongoing surveillance throughout infancy and early childhood; and (6) education of primary caregivers and primary health care providers on the early signs of hearing impairment is essential. Individual sections of the statement address advantages of early identification, who should be screened and when, a comparison of current screening methods, follow-up models, and directions for future research. Panel members and speakers are listed. (Author/DB)