Newborn Hearing Screening
The CARE Center is a participant in the California Newborn Hearing Screening Program. In California, all infants are screened for handicapping hearing loss before leaving their birth hospital. Either ABR or OAE testing may be used as the screening method. If the baby does not pass the initial screen, the family is referred to an outpatient facility (such as the CARE Center) for a second screening. If the baby does not pass the second screening, a complete diagnostic ABR and OAE battery is performed. The baby is seen by an ENT physician or otologist to determine if any medical treatment is indicated.
The results of the diagnostic testing are then used to determine the best possible hearing aid fitting for the baby.
The goal of the newborn screening program is to identify infants with significant hearing loss by the age of one month, to fit hearing aids by the age of three months, and to begin early education/therapy services by six months.
