What Does your baby’s hearing screening result mean?
When a baby does not pass the screening, it does not mean that he/she has hearing loss.
Baby with normal hearing can fail the newborn hearing screening due to:
• Vernix (a waxy coating) in the ear canal
• Movement or crying during the test
• Fluid in the middle ear
Therefore, it is very important to take your baby for follow up testing. This is the best way to be sure about the baby’s hearing.
Fri - Sun : 8.00 am - 1.00 pm
Lunch Hour : 1.00 pm - 2.00 pm
Sat & Selected Public Holidays : Closed
For any enquiries, contact our Audiologist
Tel: (+604) 222 7450
E-mail: audiologist@pah.com.my
Can a baby pass the hearing screening and still have hearing loss?
Yes, and can it can be due to:
• Some mild hearing loss may not be picked up by the screening test.
• Some baby has hearing loss that is not present at birth and develop after that.
Reference
Your Baby’s Hearing and Communicative Development Checklist. (2017, March 6). NIDCD. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/your-babys-hearing-and-communicative-development-checklist
Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Year 2019 position statement: principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. J Early Hear Detect Interv. 2019;4(2):1–44. doi: 10.15142/fptk-b748.
Neonatal Hearing Screening (NHS) Program
Understanding Normal Hearing & Speech Development Milestones
PENANG ADVENTIST HOSPITAL 槟安医院
Operated by Adventist Hospital & Clinic Services (M) (Reg. No. 199301000960)
465, Jalan Burma, 10350 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: (+604) 222 7200 LoCall: 1-300-88-4325
Fax: (+604) 222 7422 E-mail: enquiry@pah.com.my Website: www.pah.com.my Facebook: fb.com/pahpg
Neonatal Hearing Screening (NHS) Program
Normal Hearing and Speech Development Milestones
0-3
Aim: to identify hearing loss in infants as early as possible.
It is a safe and non-invasive way to know if the infant can hear or further test is needed.
It is recommended by JCIH that an infants’ hearing to be tested no later than 1 month of age. Who get an REFER result need to go for further hearing assessment not later than 3 months of age.
Babies with confirmed hearing loss should receive intervention no later than 6 months of age.
Early identification and intervention can make a big difference in child.
Untreated hearing loss in babies can cause severe speech and language delay.
4-6
• Reacts to loud sounds
• Recognizes mother’s voice and calms down when crying.
• Follows sound with his/her eyes
• Consistent head turn towards sound source (slowly and wobbly)
• Coos and makes pleasurable sounds
• Repeat the same sound a lot
• Gurgling sounds occur while playing
• babbling many sound like “p”, “b”, “w”,“m”
24-36
• Follow two steps commands (“Get the book and put on the table”)
• Notices sounds like telephone or doorbell ringing and may point or become excited
• Uses k,g,t,d and n
• Utterances are usually two or three words long, family members can usually understand
7-12
• Turns and looks at the direction of sounds
• Listen when spoken to, turns and looks at you when called by name
• Respond to simple commands
• Can point to picture in book when names
• Babbles using groups of sounds like “baba”, “tata”, “bibi”
• First words have appeared (probably not spoken clearly)
36-48
• Hear your voice from another room
• Understand and answer simple “Who”, “What”, “Where” and “Why” questions
• Sentences are longer
• Talk about things like school, friends
• Speech can be understood most of the time.
12-18
• Can point to simple body parts
• Accumulating more words as each month passes
• Uses 1-2 word phrases
48-60
• Pays attention to short stories and can answer simple questions about it
• Hears and understands nearly everything that is said
• Speaks clearly and fluently
• Can construct long, detailed sentences and tell story.
• Able to communicate easily with other people
• Enjoy simple stories or songs
18-24
• Follows and understand simple commands
• Able to put 2 words together
• Will ask two-word questions like “Where is ball?” “What is that?”
