BY adding to

Article - Health - General
Section 19-308.5
Annotated Code of Maryland

(1996 Replacement Volume and 1998 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Insurance
Section 15-817
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1997 Volume and 1998 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Health - General

13-601.

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

(b) "Risk factor" includes any of the following factors that an infant may
display and are considered relevant in determining the possibility of a hearing
impairment:

(1) An admission for more than 48 hours to a neonatal intensive care

nursery;

(2) An anatomical malformation that involves the head or neck,

including:

(i) A dysmorphic appearance;

(ii) A morphologic abnormality of the pinna;

(iii) An overt or submucous cleft palate; and

(iv) Any syndromal or nonsyndromal abnormality;

(3) A severe asphyxia, including:

(i) An infant with an apgar score of 0-3 who fails to institute
spontaneous respiration within 10 minutes; or

(ii) An infant with hypotonia that persists during the 1st 2 hours of

the infant's life;

(4) Abacterial meningitis, especially H. influenza;

(5) A birth weight of less than 1500 grams;

(6) A congenital perinatal infection, including cytomegalovirus, herpes,
rubella, syphilis, and toxoplasmosis;