Children's Corner

Newborn Hearing Screenings

Did you know that babies with a family history of hearing problems have a higher risk of hearing loss at birth or progressive hearing loss after birthr

As troubling as that is, even more troubling is that only half of children with hearing loss have a known family history of hearing problems. Many infants with hearing loss have NO specific risk factors.

Thats why the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health recommend that all newborns be screened before discharge from the birthing facility.

Infants who do not pass the screening should begin audiologic and medical evaluations to identify the presence of hearing loss before they are 3 months old.

Newborn screening is so important because babies begin developing speech and language from the moment they're born.