The Newborn Hearing Screening Program (NHS)

If my child passes his hearing screening, will more testing be necessary?
Some children who pass screening will require periodic monitoring because they are "at risk" for a progressive or late onset hearing loss. Testing should be done every 6 months until age 3 years and then at appropriate times thereafter. Children who may be monitored include:
• Children whose parent(s) or caregiver express concern regarding hearing, speech, language, and/or developmental delay
• Family history of permanent childhood hearing loss
• Stigmata or other findings associated with a syndrome known to include a sensorineural or conductive hearing loss or Eustachian tube dysfunction
• Postnatal infections associated with sensorineural hearing loss including bacteria meningitis
• In-utero infections such as cytomogolovirus, herpes, rubella, syphilis, and taxoplasmosis
• Neonatal indicators: specifically hyperbilirubinemia at a serum level requiring exchange transfusion, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn associated with mechanical ventilation, and conditions requiring the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
• Syndromes associated with progressive hearing loss such as neurofirbromotosis, osteopetrrosis, and Usher’s syndrome
• Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Hunter Syndrome, or sensory motor neuropathies, such as Friedreich’s ataxia and Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome
• Head trauma
• Recurrent or persistent otitis media with effusion for at least 6 months

Parents play a key role in identifying hearing loss is their child. The following guidelines will help you:
• Identify what the average child is doing at different ages
• Learn what you can do to help your child develop normal speech-language and use their hearing to its full potential. This is important whether or not your child has hearing loss