Hearing Screening

Newborn babies will be provided a hearing screening prior to leaving the hospital. Hearing loss is the most common birth defect and occurs in 3 out of every 1,000 newborns. The most important years for speech and language development are from birth to 3 years of age. Finding any hearing loss early will enable you to get the special help your child will need for language development. Hearing screening is painless and done while your baby is sleeping. The screening will show whether your baby’s hearing is normal or if more testing is needed.

Blood Tests for Newborns

Before leaving the hospital, your baby will have a blood test. California law requires that your baby have an expanded Newborn Screening Test. This mandatory screening will test for many metabolic, hormone and blood disorders. Please refer to the “Information for Parents about the Newborn Screening Test” brochure provided by your healthcare provider.

Make Sure Your Baby is Tested

Babies can look very healthy at birth and still have a disorder. Your baby will be tested before leaving the hospital or before he/she is six days old. Ask your baby’s healthcare provider to make sure the test is done. Blood should not be drawn before your baby is 12 hours old, or the test will need to be done over again.

Babies not born in the hospital must also have the Newborn Screening Test.

Are the tests safe?

The blood tests are simple and safe. Blood will be taken from your baby’s heel and sent to a State-approved lab for testing.

How can I get the test results?

You can get the results from your baby’s healthcare provider several weeks after the tests are performed. If your baby needs more tests, you will receive a letter or phone call.