Before you bring your newborn home from the hospital, your baby needs to have a hearing screening.
From birth, one important way babies can learn is through listening and hearing. Although most infants can hear fine, 1 to 3 of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. have hearing levels outside the typical range.
Newborn screening and diagnosis helps ensure all babies who are deaf or hard of hearing are identified as soon as possible. Then, they can receive early intervention services that can make a big difference in their communication and language development.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends hearing screenings for all newborns. The goal is for all babies to have a newborn hearing screening by one month of age, ideally before they go home from the hospital; identified by 3 months of age and enrolled in early intervention or treatment, if identified as deaf or hard of hearing, by the age of 6 months.
Why do newborns need hearing screening?
The hearing screening is a first and important step in helping understand if your baby may be deaf or hard of hearing. Without newborn hearing screening, it is hard to know when there are hearing changes in the first months and years of your baby’s life.
Babies may respond to noise by startling or turning their heads toward the sound, for example. But this doesn’t necessarily mean they can hear all the sounds around them and everything we say. Babies who are deaf or hard of hearing may hear some sounds but still not hear enough to understand spoken language.
Infants who are deaf or hard of hearing need the right supports, care, and early intervention services to promote healthy development. If the hearing status is not identified, it may have negative effects on the baby’s communication and language skills. Longer term, a missed hearing loss can also impact the child’s academic achievement and social-emotional development.
How is the newborn hearing screening done?
According to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, over 98% of newborns in the United States receive newborn hearing screening.
There are two screening methods that may be used:
- Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR)—This screen measures how the hearing nerve and brain respond to sound. Clicks or tones are played through soft earphones into the baby’s ears. Three electrodes placed on the baby’s head measure the hearing nerve and brain’s response.
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)—This screen measures sound waves produced in the inner ear. A tiny probe is placed just inside the baby’s ear canal. It measures the response (echo) when clicks or tones are played into the baby’s ears.
Both screens are quick (about 5 to 10 minutes), painless, and may be done while your baby is sleeping or lying still. One or both screens may be used.
Last Updated 12/28/2018
Source American Academy of Pediatrics Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program (Copyright © 2018)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
