The Newborn Hearing Screening Program (NHS)

When are Newborns given their hearing tests?
At the IWK, in Halifax, we are able to screen most children prior to discharge from the Health Centre. At other hospitals in the province, the children are referred by the Public Health Nurse and are seen by an Audiologist before three months of age. If a child is discharged prior to testing, an appointment can be made for an outpatient assessment. Any parent or caregiver who wishes to have their child’s hearing screened can contact the NSHSC for an appointment.

What testing procedures are used for screening newborns and infants?
Three tests are commonly used with this age group:

Behavioural Assessment: the child sits on their parent’s lap in a soundproof booth and the child’s responses to sound are observed by an Audiologist.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE): A small probe is placed in the child’s outer ear and a quiet clicking sound is introduced. A computer then measures the inner ear response to this clicking sound.

Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): Small electrodes are placed on the child’s head (and possibly neck) to monitor the ongoing electrical activity from the child’s skin. A quiet clicking sound is introduced through an earphone. The computer then assesses the changes in the electrical activity to determine whether or not the sound has made a change in electrical activity. A positive response suggests normal hearing ability for the frequencies presented by the stimulus; these frequencies are most important for hearing speech.