What to do if your newborn fails a hearing screening

Newborn hearing screening is divided into initial screening and re-screening. The initial screening can be affected by many objective factors, such as the presence of maternal secretions in the ear canal such as amniotic fluid and meconium, or by environmental or machine factors, the test may not be passed when the initial screening is done. Those who do not pass the initial screening can be re-screened 42 days after birth. At this time, the amniotic fluid and earwax have been discharged, and if the re-screening passes, it proves that the child’s hearing is normal. If the child does not pass the re-screening, a diagnostic test will be performed. There are many reasons for not passing the re-screening, such as delayed neurological development of the brain, brain damage, as well as congenital hearing developmental deficits, etc. A more detailed, accurate and specialized examination can be performed at the Children’s Hospital at 3 months after birth, including aberration product otoacoustic emissions, acoustic conductance audiometry, auditory brainstem response, and steady-state auditory evoked potentials, etc. If it is determined that there is a sensorineural hearing defect, it is necessary to perform diagnostic examinations. If it is determined that there is sensorineural hearing loss, early cochlear implantation can be performed. After implantation, one can hear sounds as normal children do, and with appropriate language training, one can maintain the same hearing ability as the general population.