Early Hearing tests for babies

The ability to hear is the foundation of your baby's ability to learn, so it's important to identify any problems just as soon as possible. That's why experts recommend that your baby's hearing be screened before he leaves the hospital. In fact, most hospitals do routine hearing tests for babies as part of their newborn screening.

If you're not sure whether your baby's hearing was tested after birth, call and ask. If it wasn't, or if your baby was born someplace without available testing, ask his doctor about hearing screening, preferably within the first month.

This is true even if your baby isn't at risk for hearing loss. In the United States, 2 to 3 in 1,000 babies are born with hearing loss, making it the most common birth defect. (This statistic is based on significant hearing loss in otherwise healthy babies. When babies in the neonatal intensive care unit and babies with mild hearing loss are included, the number jumps to 6 in 1,000.)

"Babies who receive appropriate diagnosis and intervention for their hearing loss before the age of 6 months usually do just fine," says Alison Grimes, audiologist and assistant clinical professor at UCLA Medical Center. "But those who don't often suffer delays in speech and language, social, and academic skills."

Signs of hearing loss can be different for different babies, and the extent of hearing impairment can vary. On their own, the warning signs may not be cause for worry (maybe your baby is a very sound sleeper, for example, or has colic and won't calm to any voice or soothing sound, no matter what).

What happens if my baby doesn't pass the test?
If your baby doesn't pass the screening at birth, it doesn't necessarily mean that he has a hearing problem, but it does mean that more testing is necessary. It's important that your baby be scheduled for a repeat screen within the first month of life.

Babies sometimes fail the first screening because they have fluid in the middle ear or debris (like vernix) in the ear canal, or because the room is too noisy or they're too feisty during the test (moving or crying). Many babies who fail the first screening go on to pass follow-up testing.

Typically, if a baby doesn't pass the first hearing screening, he'll be checked again in a week or two or referred to an audiologist (a hearing expert). The audiologist will do more complete tests to find out whether your baby does have hearing loss, how significant it is, and what can be done to help him.

 

If my baby passes the hearing test, could he still have hearing loss?

Yes. The newborn screening tests don't detect mild degrees of permanent hearing impairment, so passing the newborn hearing screening doesn't mean that a baby's hearing is perfect. It's very possible for a baby to pass the newborn hearing screening but either have a mild hearing loss or develop a hearing loss later.

Delayed-onset hearing loss can happen for a number of reasons, including illness, injury, genetics, or exposure to loud and prolonged levels of noise.

That's why it's important to have your baby's hearing checked regularly, at every well-baby checkup. If you're concerned about your baby's hearing or if your baby has risk factors for delayed-onset or progressive hearing loss, ask his doctor to refer you to an audiologist for further testing.