Minnesota Department of Health
2013
POSITIVE NEWBORN SCREEN
MEDICAL FACT SHEET
Newborn Hearing Screening
Did Not Pass - REFER Hearing Result
Action required
• Review the initial hearing screen results.
• Schedule a rescreen appointment
approximately two weeks after the initial
hearing screen.
• Fax rescreen appointment date and/or
results to MDH at (651) 215-6285.
• If patient does not pass the rescreen,
schedule a diagnostic audiology
appointment as soon as possible.
• Complete diagnosis no later than three
months of age and early intervention by
six months.
Review with family
• Hearing loss is one of the most common
conditions identified by newborn
screening
• 90% of infants with hearing loss are born
to parents with normal hearing
• Diagnosis may take several visits but
can typically be accomplished without
sedation if completed before the infant is
three months of age
• Observations of an infant responding
to sound are no substitute for a formal
hearing evaluation because they don’t
assess ALL the frequencies necessary for
adequate speech development
• The possibility of a REFER result due to
fluid in the ear should not delay follow-up
NICU issues
Infants who require intensive care after birth
are at higher risk for hearing loss, including
neural hearing loss, and need to be tested with
auditory brainstem response (ABR).
For infants who have been in the NICU,
screening should be completed by one month
corrected age or when medically feasible.
Clinical summary and expectations
Hearing loss is a heterogeneous condition that
may be of genetic origin.
Infants with confirmed hearing loss require
evaluations with genetics, opthamology,
and otolaryngology to assess for associated
problems.
Diagnosis of hearing loss before three months
of age provides the opportunity for infants
with hearing loss to maximize their linguistic
and communicative development. Diagnostic
testing before three months of age can be
completed without sedation.
Access to language before six months of
age allows infants with hearing loss to meet
developmental milestones. Infant/family
education, sign language, hearing aids (can be
fit for infants), and cochlear implants allow a
variety of ways to help children learn language
and communicate.
Incidence of childhood hearing loss:
~ 1-3:1000; affects all ethnic groups
False Positives: Common; typically 4% or
less. Screening result can be impacted by
fluid or debris in the ea , environmental noise,
or operator error.
Resources
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/newbornscreening
NCHAM: www.infanthearing.org
NIDCD: www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/
screened.asp
MN Lions Hearing Aid Loaner Program:
http://lionshaloaner.org/database/user_login.asp
Newborn Screening Program, 601 Robert St. N., St. Paul, MN 55155, Phone (800) 664-7772, Fax (651) 215-6285