Infant Screening and Hearing Loss Fact Sheets

Format: Fact Sheet
Institute: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

The chances are that you know a baby born in August, because more babies are born that month than in any other. This also means that more babies are screened for hearing loss in August, helped by new screening guidelines and laws in many states, which brings the immense benefit of early hearing loss detection.

Parents should remember to have their child's hearing screened and, if follow-up is required, to keep all the appointments. "Children diagnosed with early infant deafness who are offered language intervention before they are six months old develop significantly better language skills than those who do not," says NIDCD Director James Battey, M.D., Ph.D.

NIDCD fact sheets explain the importance of infant screening and hearing loss, and describe what parents can do if they have a deaf or hard-of-hearing child. The fact sheets include:

• Has your Baby's Hearing Been Screened?
  
  
• What to Do if Your Baby's Screening Reveals a Possible Problem.
  
  
• Communication Considerations for Parents of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children.

Next Steps
View the fact sheets online at www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/index.asp. Spanish versions are also available. To order free copies, contact the NIDCD Clearinghouse, 1 Communication Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20892-3456, or call toll-free (800) 241-1044 [TTY (800) 241-1055], or e-mail nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov.