Screening Newborns for Hearing Loss?
Did you know that your newborn can be screened for hearing loss even before leaving the hospital? There are three common screening tests available but not every hospital has the technology in place and not every insurance company is willing to cover the costs. If your hospital does not have this capability and you are concerned about your new baby's ability to hear, you can get a hearing test done by asking your family physician or pediatrician to refer you to the appropriate facility.
Bilateral hearing loss is found in 200 of every 100,000 newborns and this actually overshadows other diseases screened for at birth. Think of the consequences of missing this! Children diagnosed and treated in the first 6 months of life perform better on developmental tests than children treated later. There are definite interventions we have available to help these babies. Amplification, cochlear implants and family support are just a few of the way we can increase the chances of that child reaching his or her full potential.
In 1993 an NIH consensus panel backed universal newborn hearing screening. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening of all infants by the age of three months. Your family doctor or pediatrician may ask you about your baby's response to noises as part of complete well child care. He or she may check the baby's reactions to noises in the office, and although this is a good screen, it is not as sensitive as the high tech hearing tests we now have available.