An audiologist determines if a baby has a definite hearing loss. These health care professionals have the background and the appropriate equipment to detect a permanent hearing loss.
Parents & Families
Learn about hearing loss, find a roadmap for families and a timeline for screenings and diagnostic evaluations here.
Helpful Links for Parents & Families
Screening and Diagnostic Evaluation Timeline
1 Month Screening
Your baby's hearing can be screened soon after birth and before leaving the hospital. In South Dakota, all of the hospitals that deliver babies on a regular basis have hearing screening equipment. The screening does not hurt, it takes only minutes to screen each ear and the results are immediate. Most babies sleep through the screening. The screening does not confirm a definite hearing loss - rather it determines how the baby is hearing at that time and identifies it further diagnostic evaluations are needed.
If your baby does not pass the first hearing screening, it is important to follow-up with a second screening, called a re-screening. The re-screening should be done before your baby is one month of age. This will ensure that there is not a delay in any further evaluations that may be needed.
3 Month Diagnostic Evaluation
Newborn Hearing Loss Risk Factors & Causes
Genetic
> 50% of all infant hearing loss cases may be attributed to genetics
> Family history of permanent childhood hearing loss
> Syndrome commonly associated with hearing loss (account for 1/3 of genetic cases)
Environmental
> Contact with certain infections while the mother is pregnant
> Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Physiological
> Extreme jaundice
> Contact with certain types of medications
Physical
>Low birth weight
> Head, face and ear irregularities
Delayed-onset Hearing Loss
> Delayed-onset hearing loss is when a child passes their newborn hearing screening as an infant but develops hearing loss by the age of 3. Delayed-onset hearing loss can happen at any time to a child who was born with a risk factor like those listed above.
6 Month Early Intervention & Beyond
If your baby is found to have a hearing loss you will be referred to professionals that will provide information on services your child may receive.
In South Dakota these referrals should include:
- South Dakota Department of Education - Birth to Three Program
- South Dakota Services for the Deaf
- South Dakota Hands & Voices
- SD Deaf Resource and Outreach Programs
- South Dakota Department of Human Services – Services for People Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
If these referrals were not made for you, or you are unsure if they were made, you may contact these organizations directly using the information linked.
Beyond 6 months of age
Some babies have a hearing loss that is not present at birth. These babies develop a hearing loss as they grow. Track your child's language growth. If you are concerned contact your child's health care provider or educator.
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