A public health effort to identify infants born with impaired hearing at the earliest possible age (e.g., before 6 months). UNHS has been implemented by most states in the U.S. to identify those infants whose hearing loss is more than 40 decibels below the mean (i.e., those infants with the greatest risk of impaired speech acquisition in childhood). Children with profound hearing loss are at risk for poor achievement in school and diminished success in work as adults.