Starts Hear Campaign Releases Year Two Results

Starts Hear Campaign Releases Year Two Results: Shows Increase in Awareness of Newborn Hearing Screening 

Hearing First reports impact of national awareness campaign to inform expectant moms of newborn hearing screening 

PHILADELPHIA, April 27, 2023 – Hearing First, an initiative of the Oberkotter Foundation — an organization dedicated to supporting families of children with hearing loss and the professionals who work with them, is sharing the impact of the second year of the Starts Hear awareness campaign. Starts Hear is a public health awareness campaign to inform expectant parents about the importance of the newborn hearing screening (NHS). 

Launched in February 2021, the Starts Hear awareness campaign has reached millions of expectant parents to inform them about the newborn hearing screening and empower them to take action in the event of a failed screening. 

“The research continues to tell us that hearing is critical to a baby’s brain development as a foundation for listening, spoken language and literacy skills,” said Dr. Teresa Caraway, PhD, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, Incoming CEO, Oberkotter Foundation - Hearing First. “And while 98% of babies receive a newborn hearing screening prior to leaving the hospital, a problem persists. A significant number of babies who do not pass the Newborn Hearing Screening are not receiving the follow-up care they need during the critical window of time. The Starts Hear campaign focuses on reaching expectant moms where they spend time online to inform, empower, and equip them to know the status of their baby’s hearing and to take action if necessary. When moms know their baby’s brain development is at stake, they act urgently.” 

Campaign key messages include information to benefit every baby and family by focusing on the importance of early brain development. By including information about the NHS and what to do following a failed screening, the campaign can make a significant impact for children born with hearing loss. A parent-centered and optimistic design, the Starts Hear campaign taps into parents’ hopes for their child’s future. By linking their dreams with the importance of newborn hearing, parents are encouraged to take swift action to get a follow-up hearing evaluation. The campaign focused on digital ads to reach parents where they spend time and partnered with organizations committed to early childhood development and/or hearing healthcare. 

The second year of the campaign proved to be even more effective than its inaugural year, reaching even more parents. Results showed a 20% increase in awareness of the urgency of newborn hearing.

Highlights from the campaign’s first two years include: 

• 465M total ad views 
• 53.8M views of 15-second videos, totalling to 46,605 hours of watch time 
• 2.6M emails sent to remind moms about the NHS and next steps after a failed screening

The first two years of the campaign shows a positive impact in raising awareness among expectant parents about the importance of newborn hearing and what to do should their baby fail the newborn hearing screening. With the success of its first two years to build upon, the third year of the Starts Hear campaign is underway, with more optimizations and partnerships to reach even more expectant parents. 

To learn more about the Starts Hear campaign and download the Year Two Report, visit hearingfirst.org/starts-hear-awareness-campaign. 

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About Hearing First

Hearing First, an initiative of the Oberkotter Foundation, helps caring adults provide infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing with the same listening, spoken language, and literacy opportunities as their hearing peers through Listening and Spoken Language (LSL). Hearing First offers free educational resources and online learning experiences for families of children with hearing loss and professionals who seek to advance their LSL knowledge and understanding. With two free online communities, the Family Support Community and Professional Learning Community, Hearing First also helps members connect with other adults who share their same experience. The Oberkotter Foundation is a private foundation supporting opportunities for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to learn to listen and talk for over 35 years.