Far too many children are not having their hearing checked, for instance, the CDC found.

"During infancy, early detection of conditions through hearing screening and continuous developmental screening mitigates long-term disability and helps ensure overall health and quality of life," the CDC said, extrapolating this lack of screenings into the future. "During 2009–2010, approximately 50 percent of infants who failed their hearing screening were not documented to have received testing needed to diagnose hearing loss."

This was but one of many such lapses identified by CDC. Others included:

• During 2007, parents of approximately 80 percent of children aged 10 months to 47 months were not asked by health care providers to complete a formal screen for developmental delays during the preceding 12 months.
• During 2010, two-thirds of children aged one to two years were not screened and reported to CDC for lead poisoning.
• During 2009–2010, according to their parents, approximately one in five children aged five years never had their vision checked by a doctor or other health care provider.
• During 2009–2010, documentation of blood pressure screenings were absent in approximately one in four clinic visits for preventive care made by children and adolescents aged 3 years to 17 years to office-based physicians and hospital outpatient departments.
• During 2009, 56 percent of U.S. children and adolescents did not visit the dentist during the preceding year, and 86 percent of children and adolescents did not receive a dental sealant or a topical fluoride application during the preceding year.
• During 2005–2010, 69 percent of those aged five years to 19 years did not have a dental sealant.
• During adolescence, the CDC said, vaccination against HPV infections and screening for related risky behaviors are essential. Yet during 2011, 47 percent of females aged 13–17 years had not received their recommended first HPV vaccine dose, and 65 percent had not received the three doses required for series completion. Among males, approximately 90 percent had not yet received at least one dose of HPV vaccine.
• During 2004–2010, approximately one in three outpatient visits made by persons aged 11–21 years to office-based physicians had no documentation of tobacco use status, and 80 percent of those who screened positive for tobacco use did not receive any cessation assistance including tobacco counseling and/or provision of cessation medication.
• During 2006–2010, approximately one-fourth of sexually experienced females aged 15–19 years and more than one-third of sexually experienced males aged 15–19 years did not receive a reproductive health service from a health care provider during the preceding 12 months.

In addition to the above "average" results, the CDC found that Hispanics and those who lack health insurance reported far worse results.