Why Conduct Newborn Hearing Screening?

There has been an outcry against the increasing healthcare costs in the United States, with Forbes reporting that healthcare costs are rising faster than inflation. This, coupled with an economy that is still trying to recover from the damaging effects of the housing bubble and the recession that followed it, poses to be a major problem for patients. A simple visit to a hospital or clinic can prove to be a hefty burden, not to mention being admitted in one.

Infant Hearing Screening

New parents are excited about the birth of their child, but also have to bear the ever-increasing cost of medicines and hospital bills. Doctors, in the interest of the child, recommend a long list of tests and parents are forced to comply. If you or a close friend has gone through a similar experience, have you found yourself asking the following question: Are the tests really worth it?

Most states in the United States of America have implemented newborn or infant hearing screening protocols. Doctors conduct this hearing test before they discharge the newborn baby from the hospital or birthing center. The purpose of the test is to identify any hearing loss in infants shortly after their birth. If, for some reason, the newborn does not pass the screen, a rescreen is usually done. If the infant does not pass the second hearing test, he is referred to an audiologist for diagnostic testing.

Worth It or Not?

The reason that hearing screening is considered compulsory at such a young age is that studies and researches have proven that early intervention is necessary for the proper speech development of the child. According to a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, children whose hearing losses were identified by six months of age demonstrated significantly better language scores than children identified after six months of age. Regardless of what gender, ethnicity or socio-economic group the child belonged to, early detection and treatment always led to better speech development in children, stated the study. This also holds true regardless of the degree of hearing loss or if the child had other disabilities in addition to hearing loss.

While it may seem as if the cost of hearing tests and screenings is high, it should always be remembered that such a test is in the best interest of your child. If your child has hearing loss, the best way to tackle that is to detect it early in his life. However, detection alone is not sufficient. Hearing loss should also be treated in the best way possible so that the child has the best opportunity to develop speech, language and communication abilities. Unfortunately, hearing loss is also associated with cognitive decline and even sensory disorders.

Thus, if left untreated, hearing loss in your child will weaken his mental strength and hamper with his quality of life. Not to mention, untreated hearing loss will lead to speech difficulties and poor performance in school and studies. Children with untreated hearing loss will find it harder to make friends and may develop an inferiority complex and maintain social isolation.