{"id":224,"date":"2020-12-07T18:04:36","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T23:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entalabama.fm1.dev\/pediatric-audiology-overview\/newborn-hearing-loss\/"},"modified":"2021-04-19T12:58:48","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T16:58:48","slug":"newborn-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.entalabama.com\/audiologist\/newborn-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Newborn Hearing Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hearing loss is the most common birth defect, with two to three out of one thousand babies born with a hearing impairment. It\u2019s important to catch this early, as hearing plays a crucial role in a child\u2019s social and emotional development, and is key to their speech and language skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diagnosing Hearing Loss in Newborns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most hospitals screen a newborn\u2019s hearing shortly after birth. Up to 10 percent of infants do not pass the initial hearing test, but this is often the result of movement and crying during the exam, or a buildup of fluid or vernix (the waxy, white protective coating that babies are born with) in the ears. Follow-up testing can confirm whether your baby truly has a hearing loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Causes of Newborn Hearing Loss?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

While most babies are born with normal hearing, there are some who do have a hearing loss at birth, or develop one early in childhood. Risk factors include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n