All infants should be screened for hearing loss before one month of age. It is best if they are screened before leaving the hospital.

Babies begin to develop speech and language from the time they are born. They learn by listening and interacting with the sounds and voices around them. But, when a baby is born with hearing loss, many sounds and voices are not heard, and the child’s speech and language development can be delayed.

Each year in the United States, as many as 12,000 babies are born with a hearing loss. The cause of hearing loss for many babies is not known, and hearing loss can go unnoticed for years. Fortunately, almost all states, communities, and hospitals now offer hearing screening for all babies.

The earlier the hearing difference is detected and addressed, the better the outcomes for children and families. The test itself is quick and painless and only requires the newborn to lie still and quiet for about one minute. There are reasons other than hearing loss to fail the initial screen, such as noise in the room, debris in the ear canals, or faulty equipment. Often if the first attempt is unsuccessful, screening staff will try again on subsequent hospital days. If the baby has not passed the hearing screen before hospital discharge (which is not all that uncommon so try not to be alarmed), follow-up testing will be arranged.

Reference: CDC

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