What should I do if my newborn fails the hearing screening?

The main purpose of newborn hearing screening is to apply objective physiological tests to screen out babies with congenital or neonatal hearing impairment, allowing early access to comprehensive audiological testing and medical evaluation of infants and children suspected of having hearing loss for early diagnosis and intervention. Four screening techniques are used for newborn hearing screening: otoacoustic emissions, ABR, acoustic conductance, and auditory behavior testing. Due to the stability of the testing machine, the depth of the baby’s sleep state, the cleanliness of the ear canal, the state of the middle ear, the interference of the external environment and other factors, there is a high rate of false positives in the initial hearing screening of newborns, so parents should not be too nervous if the initial screening does not pass. For newborns who do not pass the initial hearing screening, a second hearing test is required at 42 days of age, and those who pass the re-screening are followed up with parents to closely observe their child’s speech development. However, if the baby does not pass the re-screening, a diagnostic test using auditory brainstem evoked potentials (ABR) is required. The specific diagnostic test is controlled between 3-6 months of age. A comprehensive audiological evaluation by an otologist is required for babies suspected of having hearing impairment, and prompt intervention should be given when hearing impairment is identified. It is important to note that for infants with delayed or progressive hearing impairment, the hearing screening can be passed after birth, but if there are risk factors for hearing impairment, they should receive follow-up audiological examinations within 3 years of age, and parents need to closely observe their child’s hearing and speech development.