Most states require all babies to have a hearing screening before leaving the hospital. Early detection and correction of a hearing problem is critical to a babys language development.

To perform the hearing test, an audiologist will use painless and harmless techniques while your baby is resting, checking inside her ears with a special instrument and possibly measuring brain responses using electrodes.

If the tester cannot get a good reading, you may be asked to come back for further testing. If the screening indicates hearing loss, the tests will need to be repeated; we will provide information about follow-up.

Even though most babies hearing is normal, its good to know that early diagnosis leads to early treatment, which can help babies with hearing loss have normal language development.

For more information, see the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.

This message is not intended to provide individual medical advice. Always seek the advice of a physician or qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have about your health or medical condition, your breastfeeding issues and your infant's health. Never disregard, avoid or delay contacting a doctor or other qualified professional because of something you have read in our emails, webpages or other electronic communications.

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