What is it?
It is a hearing test that happens soon after birth before your baby leaves the hospital. If your baby does not pass the test a more detailed hearing test is needed to be sure that your baby can hear.
Is it painful?
No, it is not painful at all.
Why is it important?
Language and your babies’ brain are already developing when the baby is born. Being able to hear in the first few months of life prepare your baby to speak later.
Hearing loss is the most common birth abnormality. About one to three babies out of every 1,000 will be born with a permanent hearing loss.
Babies learn language by listening and watching their families communicate around them. Children with solid language skills are more likely to become strong readers and writers.
When a baby is born deaf or with a hearing loss, the process of developing language can be delayed, leading to speech delay and later to learning problems at school.
How long does it take?
It takes 2-10 minutes to test the hearing.
What happens if my baby passes their hearing screen?
Hearing may change overtime.
Play with them and sing and talk to them to develop their communication skills.
If you are worried about your baby’s hearing. Talk to your healthcare practitioner or ask for a referral to a paediatric audiologist.
What if my baby does not pass their hearing screen?
It does not mean that your baby is deaf. There may be some fluid in the ear from being born.
The next screen will be booked 1-2 weeks from discharge to allow for this to clear.
It is very important attend the follow up appointment with an audiologist. The date will be given to you immediately after the screen.
What if my baby is diagnosed with hearing loss or deafness?
If an audiologist diagnoses your baby as Deaf or having hearing loss, they will guide you through the next steps in the process.
it is important to begin early intervention services as soon as possible.
This will help your baby to develop the language skills that are needed to communicate and learn.
There is no reason why a Deaf child or a child with hearing loss cannot develop strong social, emotional, and academic skills needed for them to succeed at school and in life.
A team of professionals will help guide and support you and your family and enable you to become a strong and independent member of the team to help your baby become the best version of themselves.
“Screening does not diagnose hearing loss. It identifies babies that need further testing”
Baby’s Milestones 3-6 Months
3 MONTHS
WEEK 13
Your baby may laugh, smile, and make sounds as if they are trying to talk to you
WEEK 14
Rattles and dangling toys are important to teach your baby hand and eye skills.
WEEK 15
Your baby will learn to roll over. This will happen one way at a time. Stop wrapping the baby in blankets. Never leave the baby alone on a bed, chair, or table.
WEEK 16
Tummy time is important to make your baby’s neck strong. It is exercise for baby and makes their muscles strong to prepare them to sit and crawl.
4 MONTHS
WEEK 17
Your baby enjoys noise, laughing and copying sounds that you make. Talk to your baby, look them in the eye.
WEEK 18
Start using their eyes and hands to learn, especially about themselves.
WEEK 19
Baby starts to join different sounds together. It is important to point at things and name it for the baby. Books are wonderful but point at things around you too.
WEEK 20
Your baby is starting to understand themselves. They recognise themselves in the mirror. Your baby will be able to show their feelings by laughing, crying, smiling, and frowning.
5 MONTHS
WEEK 21
Tummy time and time on the floor is important. Keep a close eye on them but allow them to move around.
WEEK 22
Your baby may enjoy putting things in the mouth. They may play by dropping things to the ground. This is fun, play with them.
WEEK 23 & 24
They can form memories. They can recognise names, words, and sounds. Help them by using the same sentences often: like how you greet them in the morning.
For more information and further resources:
Dr Jessica McGuire
Hope-hear.org
