Delaware Newborn Hearing Screening Program

All birthing sites provide hearing screening prior to discharge. Your baby can be tested safely within the first day of life.

How is the Screening Completed?

A trained person will screen your baby’s hearing using special computerized equipment. The screening test is not painful and can be given while your baby is asleep. It will show whether your baby’s hearing is normal, or if further testing is needed. You will receive the results of the hearing screening before you leave the birthing site.

What if My Baby Does Not Pass?

About 1 out of every 10 newborns will need to be re-screened. This does not mean he or she is deaf or hard of hearing. Sometimes the baby is too fussy during the screening or there is birthing debris in the ears.

If the screening results indicate your infant should be re-screened, it is important to have it done within the first month. The parent is strongly encouraged to take their child to an outpatient audiologist facility to have their infant rescreened to rule out hearing loss.

Please note: Some of the files available on this page are in Adobe PDF format which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded directly from Adobe . If you are using an assistive technology unable to read Adobe PDF, please either view the corresponding text only version (if available) or visit Adobe's Accessibility Tools page.

Delaware Newborn Hearing Screening Program

Home

About

Services

Information

Connect

How is the Screening Completed?

What if My Baby Does Not Pass?

Delaware's Government