Newborn hearing screening

There you are, still a little dazed by the wonder of it all, when a nurse hands you a card telling you that your child passed the newborn hearing screening. What exactly does that mean? Your child, genius that he may be, can't exactly raise his perfect little hand to show that he heard the sound in his right or left ear, so how does anyone really know your child has normal hearing?

Newborn hearing screenings are completed within the first few days of life. After a nurse gently attaches electrodes to the baby's head, sounds come from the testing equipment, and the newborn's brain responds to those sounds. That response is picked up by the electrodes and recorded. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing can detect the activity of the inner ear, auditory nerve, and brainstem by using a series of soft clicking sounds, which gradually become softer. This simple assessment is usually done while the baby is asleep.

The link between hearing and developing spoken language makes early detection critical. The first few years of life provide a critical window in language learning. When a hearing loss is present, either a permanent loss or a fluctuating loss that accompanies ear infection, a child's communication skills can fall behind.

When children do not pass the initial screening at the hospital, a follow-up assessment is scheduled. Sometimes this is as simple as repeating the test to make sure it wasn't just an off day for the baby.

Children have the best chance for normal language development if the loss is detected within the first six months of life. If you suspect that your child has a hearing loss, don't wait. Get a referral from your baby's pediatrician to see a pediatric audiologist for additional testing.

Contact your pediatrician and ask for a referral for a speech and language evaluation.

Consult a professional. Speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat children with speech, language, and swallowing difficulties. Audiologists diagnose and manage hearing and balance disorders. Look for an audiologist or speech-language pathologist who holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. To find a professional in your area, visit ASHA.

By federal law, free or low-cost early intervention services are available to children ages birth through three who have a demonstrated language delay. Private insurance plans may cover certain language disorders as well.

Universities that have programs in speech-language pathology and audiology have clinics where supervised graduate students provide evaluation and treatment. Services are often low-cost or free.