Newborn Hearing screening
Awareness month
September is Newborn Hearing Screening Awareness Month, a time to bring attention to just how much a baby is learning from the sounds around them from the very beginning.
Before babies ever say their first word, they are listening. They are becoming familiar with the voices of their parents and caregivers, responding to sounds and beginning to develop the skills that will eventually help them communicate. That’s one reason identifying hearing loss early is so important.
Hearing loss in a newborn isn’t always easy to recognize. A baby may react to certain sounds or appear to be hearing normally, which is why newborn hearing screenings and timely follow-up testing are so valuable. The earlier families have a clear picture of their child’s hearing, the sooner they can understand their options and make decisions about what their child may need.
As pictured above, small sensors placed on a baby’s head during a newborn hearing screening measure how their hearing system responds to sound while they rest comfortably.
A new space for our smallest patients
With the launch of our Pediatric Audiology Program earlier this year, we wanted to make sure our space was ready for patients of all ages, including newborns. We created a nursery specifically for babies and their families, giving them a quiet and comfortable place during their visit.
Here, our pediatric audiologists can complete specialized hearing testing while babies rest comfortably. If further testing is needed following a newborn hearing screening, our team can continue working with the family, answer questions and help them understand the next steps.
For us, pediatric hearing care is about more than a single test or appointment. It’s about being there for families from those very first questions and continuing to support their child as they grow.
We’re proud that some of the very first patients to experience our growing Pediatric Audiology Program are also some of our smallest.
