Birth hospitals have the important mission of beginning each newborn’s journey of healthy hearing by screening the baby before they are discharged. If the baby fails this initial screening, follow up with a rescreen or refer to a pediatric audiologist for a diagnosis by three months of age, and if needed the baby will begin early intervention services by six months of age.
“The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH 2000, 2007) recommends all infants are screened no later than 1 month of age to maximize social, emotional, and linguistic outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing” (NCHAM, 2016, p. 2-1). Approximately 99% of Arkansas newborns receive an initial hearing screen before they leave the hospital. Hospital staff then create the hearing screening record which is reported and tracked by the Infant Hearing Program per state law.
Resources and Information
- 2019 JCIH Position Statement
- Order Educational Materials
- Tips for Communicating Screening Refer Results to Parents
- Newborn Hearing Screening Training Curriculum Scripts
- Providers of Follow-up Infant Hearing Screening
- Diagnostic Providers list
- Guidelines
- Act 1559 of 1999
- Rules and Regulations
