In Massachusetts, all babies have their hearing screened when they’re born. If you give birth in a hospital, the screening will happen before you go home.
A hearing screening uses a special machine to see how your baby responds to sounds. It doesn’t hurt your baby. If your baby passes the hearing screening, it means their hearing is normal and they don’t need any more testing or services unless there are new concerns for their hearing or development.
If your baby does not pass the hearing screening at birth, then they will be referred to an audiologist for a full evaluation to rule out or diagnose hearing loss. The hospital will make an appointment for your baby to have more testing, or you can call 800.882.1435 to find out where to go. It is important that this diagnostic audiological evaluation occurs before your child is three months old to ensure timely access to interventions.
If your child is diagnosed as being deaf or hard of hearing after more testing, it’s important to get them the right care and support as soon as possible. Early intervention specialists, and specifically those with expertise in supporting deaf and hard of hearing children and their families can help guide you through the process. Your child’s care team can also help.
Your child’s pediatrician may refer you to other providers if your child is deaf or hard of hearing, including:
- Audiology
- Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics
- Genetic Services
- Ophthalmology
- Otolaryngology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Together, these specialists can help figure out the cause of your child’s hearing loss and get them the right care to support their development and health.