What is a hearing screening for newborns?

Screen for problems: Many states require infant hearing screening tests before your newborn leaves the hospital. These are done to detect any difficulties your baby may have with hearing early on so that proper therapies can be initiated as soon as possible. However many babies do not pass this initial screening and are not deaf. They simply need to repeat the test once discharged and many will then pass.

Hearing test: One of the tests is called otoacoustic emissions or oaes, where a miniature earphone and microphone are placed in the ear, sounds are played and a response is measured. If a baby hears normally, an echo is reflected back into the ear canal and is measured by the microphone. Babies are first screened using oaes. Babies who do not pass on the first oae test can be given a second test using the abr.