Can My Baby Hear Me?

Being a first-time parent comes with a LOT of emotions and questions. Many parents share that they’re not sure what’s “normal” versus when they should call a doctor. How do you know? It’s not like newborns come with a manual of instructions! 

Some of the questions we often hear from parents are “how can I tell if my baby can hear me?” or “when do I know to make an appointment with a pediatric audiologist?” This quick checklist offers questions parents can ask themselves and what to do next. 

Why Your Baby’s Hearing Matters

Hearing is critical to your baby's brain development! Hearing builds the foundation for listening, talking, literacy, critical thinking, and other important skills. Parents need to know the status of their baby’s hearing so they can make sure their baby doesn’t miss a moment of listening and learning. 

That’s why almost every baby has a newborn hearing screening (NHS) before leaving the hospital. Make sure you know the results of your baby’s screening so you know your next steps. If they failed their screening—or you're not sure of the results—follow up with your pediatrician right away and ask about a hearing screening or an appointment with a pediatric audiologist. 

When You Should Consider Getting Your Baby’s Hearing Tested 

Maybe your baby passed their hearing screening at birth but now you have concerns about their hearing. How do you know if your baby’s hearing needs to be tested? What should you be looking out for? Here are some of the top indicators that you should get those little ears tested. 

If your baby is not responding to quiet sounds, or startling at loud sounds: Is your baby not turning to sound, or responding when you call their name? By one year of age, they should have simple vocabulary words, such as mama and dada. Not having a small vocabulary of spoken words would be an indicator to get their hearing tested. If they’re not following or not meeting their developmental milestones, you may also want to talk with your pediatrician about their hearing. 

When you have any concerns that your baby might not be hearing: “Parent gut” is a very real thing. Trust your instincts. If you have questions or concerns that your baby might not be hearing, talk to your baby’s pediatrician. Tell them you're worried and ask for a referral to a pediatric audiologist for a hearing evaluation. If you need to, you can also directly contact a pediatric audiologist's office yourself to schedule an appointment. 

Hearing is so important for your child's brain development, so you want to act urgently if you have a concern. 

If you were recommended to have your baby’s hearing re-screened at the time of their NHS: At the time of your baby's newborn hearing screening, it might have been recommended that their hearing be re-screened regularly due to known risk factors, like time spent in the NICU, or a family history of hearing loss. Make sure you maintain those appointments, so you always know the status of your baby's hearing. 

Remember, these early days for your baby are a critically important time for their brain development. As they learn and grow, you will want your little one to have all the wonderful listening and language opportunities their brain needs, from lullabies and “I love you,” to story time and peek-a-boos. 

If you want more information, on preparing for your baby’s hearing evaluation, check out this article or watch the video below so you feel confident in your next steps.

Can Your Baby Hear You?