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Our DS took like 4 times over 3 days to pass his newborn screening in the hospital. He was right on the cusp so they retested him a bunch to make sure.

@littlejoy: I hope you don’t have to wait too long. We ended up getting much better news than those screenings indicated. Try not to worry.

@littlejoy: we’ve been there. The next step is to see an audiologist. I’d highly recommend a pediatric audiologist—they’re used to working with patients and parents. They may also be more knowledgeable about early intervention.

Most babies who refer on the hospital screening just have fluid, but at 2m, fluid usually has cleared out. Not always though! Once you schedule an appointment with a pediatric audiologist, you can expect an auditory brain stem response (ABR) test, which looks similar to the hospital screening, but can last 45 minutes or more.

Other tests will likely include a tympanogram. Your older child has probably had this performed in the pediatrician’s office. It detects the presence of fluid. An additional test may be performed to test the organ of hearing, an otoaccoustic emissions (OAE) test. All three tests are painless and will be performed with your baby in your arms.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or if you would like more information about what it may look like if your child receives a hearing loss diagnosis.