Newborn Hearing Screenings: What You Need to Know

Every day, babies across the country receive newborn screenings shortly after being born. One screening that many parents aren’t aware of? The newborn hearing screening. Let’s talk about what this screening is, why it matters for babies, and what families should do if their baby doesn’t pass the screening.

What is the newborn hearing screening?

The newborn hearing screening is a screening routine done shortly after baby is born. The hearing screening allows parents to know the status of their baby’s hearing and whether additional testing is required. It’s the first step in making sure children have everything they need to learn to listen and talk, from the very start.

How does the hearing screening work?

The newborn hearing screening is safe, quick, and gentle. It’s non-invasive, inexpensive, and so comfortable that many babies even sleep through it! There are two types of screenings that are done before your baby leaves the hospital:

• Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE). This type of screening uses a tiny probe that’s inserted just at the entrance to a newborn’s ear canal and plays a series of sounds. The screening checks for echoes in a baby’s ears in response to the clicks or tones that are played. Babies whose ears do not have an echo could have hearing loss.
• Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) or Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR). During this type of screening, a newborn wears tiny earphones that play sounds and, along with three electrodes placed on the scalp, measure the baby’s brain activity. A lack of brain activity could indicate a hearing problem.

Why is it so important?

Hearing loss is one of the most common birth anomalies. Did you know that 3 of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. have some level of hearing loss? And most of them are born to hearing parents who haven’t had prior experience with hearing loss.

Babies need access to sound for their brains to grow strong language and communication skills. That's why experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics say hearing loss is urgent and should be identified right away.

The newborn hearing screening helps make that early action possible.

What does it mean if a newborn failed the hearing screening?

Newborns can fail the hearing screening for many reasons – from temporary conditions to more serious hearing loss issues. Either way, the most important thing is to take action and follow up with a pediatric audiologist as soon as possible if a baby failed the screening.

Will a hearing problem delay a child’s development?

Many parents ask this question – and the good news is early action leads to better outcomes. Hearing is essential to brain development as access to sound grows neural networks and lays the foundation for reading and writing. And when hearing loss is identified and addressed early, babies can learn to listen and talk alongside their hearing friends.

What matters most for a baby’s development is acting quickly after a failed hearing screening. That’s where early follow-up and support come in – starting with the 1-3-6 guidelines.

What are the 1-3-6 guidelines for infant hearing?

Because newborn hearing is so important, the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) has set minimum guidelines of 1-3-6 to ensure that newborn babies with hearing loss can receive the support they need at the time they need it so they can listen, talk, read, and thrive!

1-3-6 stands for:

• By 1 month, a newborn baby should receive a hearing screening, and parents should be sure to get the results before leaving the hospital.
• By 3 months, babies should have a full hearing evaluation and identification of their hearing status. Families will work with a pediatric audiologist and professional team to understand what type of hearing loss is present and whether it's temporary or permanent.
• By 6 months, babies with hearing loss should be using hearing technology and begin Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) early intervention – so they can learn to listen and talk!

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