System of Services

  1  -  All infants should undergo screening for hearing loss before discharge from the birth 

         hospital and no later than ONE month of age.

  3  -  All infants whose initial screen and subsequent screenings warrant additional testing

         should have appropriate audiologic evaluation to confirm the infant’s hearing status

         no later than THREE months of age.

  6  -  All infants who are deaf or hard of hearing in one or both ears should be referred 

         immediately to early intervention to begin targeted and appropriate services no later 

         than SIX months of age.

Access to language (sign and/or spoken) is the foundation for your baby’s ability to learn, so it’s important to identify any problems with hearing as soon as possible. Speech and language begin to develop at birth, even though babies don’t usually begin to talk until about one year of age. 

Without screening for hearing loss it is usually not noticeable to parents or providers until developmental delays have already occurred. Screening and follow-up testing are the only ways to find hearing loss early. Learning if your baby has hearing loss will help you and your baby find the best ways to communicate and avoid delays.

Trained hospital staff will test your baby’s hearing using special equipment that is safe and will not hurt. Tests are done while your baby is quiet or asleep and takes about 10 minutes. 

No—hearing testing at home cannot tell you whether your baby has hearing loss. Many babies with hearing loss will startle to loud noises even when they can’t hear softer sounds such as voices. To know whether your baby has hearing loss in the range where speech is heard, your baby must have an objective hearing screening to measure his or her response to sound.