Newborn Hearing Screenings for Babies Born at Home: Report from an Initiative in Michigan

Objective: Babies born in an out-of-hospital setting (e.g., homebirth) often do not receive a universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of providing training and equipment for newborn hearing screening to midwives who attend homebirths. Study Design: Midwives from around the state of Michigan were invited to participate in a two-part UNHS training. Hearing screening data from all midwives who attended homebirths (N=112) during the 2015 and 2016 calendar years were analyzed using a two-level multilevel model. Estimated odds of babies being screened were calculated based on midwife group. Results: Having a midwife who hosted an AABR machine at her practice increased the likelihood of receiving a screening by 39.37 times. Having a midwife who had access to an AABR machine increased the likelihood of receiving a screening by 8.57 times. Having a midwife who received focused education about the importance of newborn hearing screening increased the likelihood of receiving a screening by 10.82 times. Conclusion: Providing UNHS equipment to midwives significantly increases the likelihood that babies born at home will receive a hearing screening at birth. This is evidence for the continued outreach and inclusion of midwives in UNHS programs

Wolves in Utah: An analysis of potential impacts and recommendations for management

The historic range of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Utah was essentially statewide. Although their presence cannot be disputed, the historic abundance of wolves in Utah is unknown. The release of gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho in 1995 established growing populations, and increasing dispersal is bringing these wolves closer to Utah. It seems likely that wolves will commingle with Utah\u27s other native mammals in the near future. The potential presence of wolves in Utah is generating a series of questions and debates. In this report, we review the potential of wolves in Utah and make predictions regarding the social and economic impacts of wolf recolonization on the livestock industry, on hunter success, and on wildlife managers, and then make recommendations on possible ways to mitigate these impacts

Economic aspects of wolf recolonization in Utah

An assessment of likely economic effects of wolf recovery should be included in the discussion of the future of wolves in Utah. In this section, we discuss both the potential benefits and the expected costs of wolf recovery to Utah’s economy. The potential benefits include both use—such as increases in tourism resulting from the presence of wolves—or non-use values that can be measured by willingness to pay surveys. The expected costs of recovery include direct costs born by agencies involved in wolf management, livestock owners that experience losses from wolf depredation, and those that might result from reduced game take by hunters. In addition, there may be indirect costs, which are more difficult to quantify

Potential strategies for managing Utah\u27s wolf-livestock conflicts

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) classifies gray wolf populations as either endangered, threatened, or nonessential / experimental. Therefore, if wolves enter Utah under their current legal classification, the USFWS will be the primary agency responsible for wolf management (see Section 2). For the last 30 years, this agency has been responsible for managing recovering wolf populations in other parts of the United States, both in the Great Lakes and the Rockies. Unfortunately, wolves have come into conflict with livestock in all of their recovery areas. As a result, the USFWS has taken various measures to minimize these conflicts, while maintaining their objectives to continue to recover wolf populations

Biological aspects of wolf recolonization in Utah

Wolves have been one of the most scientifically examined of all wildlife species (Mech, 1995b). Many studies have focused on the effects of wolf reintroductions and recolonization. In this section, we address how wolves may naturally disperse into Utah, highlight areas identified in our habitat model as constituting the most favorable wolf habitat in Utah, estimate potential wolf populations in Utah, and describe what is currently known about the influence of wolves on an ecosystem