Neonatal Hearing Screening Program

The Newborn Hearing Screening Program aims at the early detection and diagnosis of congenital hearing loss, that is, hearing loss that a newborn has at birth. Since the development of speech in infants depends on the proper functioning of the auditory system, any hearing abnormality may cause difficulties in communication and learning. This can affect a child’s academic performance, mental health, and social integration.

These consequences can be reversed if diagnosis, intervention, and support occur within the first months of life. Early diagnosis and intervention maximize the child’s potential to develop communication skills and ensure normal growth and socialization.

Newborn hearing screening is a procedure during which all newborns are examined after the first 10 days of life to detect any possible hearing problems early. This procedure is applied to all healthy newborns.

  • Early detection allows for timely intervention, increasing the likelihood that the child will develop normal language and communication skills.
  • Without early diagnosis, delays in speech, communication difficulties, and learning problems may affect the child’s psychological, social, and academic development.
  • Intervention in the first months of life is much more effective than delayed intervention.
  • It ensures equality: all children, regardless of social or economic background, have the opportunity for early screening, timely diagnosis, and access to necessary services.

  • After the tenth day of birth, the newborn is tested with AABR (Automated Otoacoustic Emissions – AOE), which assesses the function of the cochlea by measuring the sound waves produced by the inner ear.
  • If a newborn fails the first screening, the same test is repeated one week later.
  • If the newborn fails the OAE test again, the process continues with AABR (Automated Auditory Brainstem Response – ABR) testing, during which the electrical response of the auditory nerve and brainstem to sounds is recorded.
  • If the newborn fails the screening process entirely, their hearing is evaluated by a specialist audiologist of the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme.

More information on the anatomy and function of the ear, hearing tests, and types of hearing loss can be found in the information leaflet.