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Step 1
Check with your hospital to inquire about newborn hearing screening before the birth of your baby. Many hospitals today routinely screen newborn babies on the second day of life using one of two testing methods: otoacoustic emissions test (OAE) or auditory brain stem response test (ABR).
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Step 2
Seek out a local hospital that provides newborn hearing screenings if your child is born at home or at a hospital that does not provide the screening. This information can be obtained by calling the Labor and Delivery department of the hospital.
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Step 3
Obtain a follow up test within a month with a pediatric audiologist if your infant does not pass the newborn hearing screening. Follow up testing should be done before the infant is six months old to avoid the need for sedation during testing.
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Step 4
Contact your local early intervention office if your newborn is identified with hearing loss. Early intervention and strong parental involvement have been shown to dramatically decrease language delay when hearing-impaired newborns are identified at birth and given follow up care shortly after.
