“My baby’s hearing screening finding was ‘Refer.’ Now what?”
Prior to leaving the hospital or before your baby is one month old, your newborn will have a hearing screening. The results of that screening will be Pass or “Refer.”
Clearly, Pass is good; but what is meant by “Refer?”
A “Refer” on the newborn hearing screening means that your newborn needs additional testing and a medical referral to an ENT is necessary to rule out hearing loss. At The ENT Center, your infant may receive another screening (re-screen before one month of age) or diagnostic testing before the infant is three months old. Diagnostic testing will include hearing tests by various means that do not require your infant to respond.
These tests can be done while your infant rests in your arms or is in a relaxed awake state. Sometimes, testing newborns can be difficult and may require several appointments to gather all the information. Additionally, the physician will do a full ears, nose, and throat examination to ensure your baby is healthy.
At The Hearing Center, we send the results of all the testing to your baby’s pediatrician or family doctor to ensure the best care for your newborn. If your newborn does not “pass” the hearing test and additional diagnostic testing, we will provide you with resources and information and help you investigate hearing technology that is appropriate for your infant.
Please check out these resources for more information about newborn hearing screening:
- http://www.babyhearing.org
- http://www.paearlyhearing.org
- http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/index.html
For a “Refer” finding on the newborn hearing screening, or for other pediatric hearing concerns, SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT for an evaluation—and clear medical insights on the best next steps for your child!
