Newborn Hearing Screening

& Follow-Up Care

Baby's ear — Colorado Springs, CO — NorthStar Audiology

NorthStar Audiology strives to be there for your family during all aspects of a hearing journey. We proudly offer mobile newborn hearing screening and follow-up diagnostic testing. Newborn screenings are common in most hospital settings before the baby is released from the hospital. If you have had a homebirth or your newborn missed their hospital hearing screening, NorthStar Audiology would be happy to arrange the screening in the comfort of your home. It is important to have your baby’s hearing screened prior to one month of age. 

  • Why Does My Newborn Infant Need a Hearing Screening?

    By 25 weeks gestation, an infant in the womb will respond to sound. In fact, children begin learning speech and language before they are born. Hearing is important to speech development. A newborn hearing screening is one of the first steps in the journey of an infant’s hearing health and wellness. 

  • How is a Newborn Hearing Screening Done?

    There are two types of newborn hearing screening technology. The procedures are safe, effective, and can be done while your baby is sleeping comfortably. 


    OAE – Otoacoustic Emissions

    A small, soft probe will be placed into your newborn baby’s ear. The OAE machine plays a series of soft tones or clicks. The hearing organ produces a response that can be recorded by the probe.  


    AABR – Automated Auditory Brainstem Response

    A small, soft probe or ear cup will be placed in or around your newborn baby’s ear. Cloth stickers called electrodes will be placed on your baby’s forehead and behind each ear. The equipment presents soft clicks to the ear. The sound travels from the earpiece, through the hearing system, to the brain. The electrodes transmit your baby’s response to sound to a computer.  

  • What If My Baby Does Not Pass the Newborn Hearing Screening?

    Screening should be completed before your baby turns 1 month of age. Babies who do not pass hearing screening should be tested by a pediatric audiologist before 3 months of age. A pediatric audiologist will do additional testing to figure out if there is permanent childhood hearing loss. Not all babies who "do not pass" a hearing screening will have hearing loss. However, if hearing loss is present, it is critical to get a diagnosis prior to 3 months of age and receive early intervention before 6 months of age. 

  • Why Does My Newborn Infant Need a Hearing Screening?

    By 25 weeks gestation, an infant in the womb will respond to sound. In fact, children begin learning speech and language before they are born. Hearing is important to speech development. A newborn hearing screening is one of the first steps in the journey of an infant’s hearing health and wellness. 

  • How is a Newborn Hearing Screening Done?

    There are two types of newborn hearing screening technology. The procedures are safe, effective, and can be done while your baby is sleeping comfortably. 


    OAE – Otoacoustic Emissions

    A small, soft probe will be placed into your newborn baby’s ear. The OAE machine plays a series of soft tones or clicks. The hearing organ produces a response that can be recorded by the probe.  


    AABR – Automated Auditory Brainstem Response

    A small, soft probe or ear cup will be placed in or around your newborn baby’s ear. Cloth stickers called electrodes will be placed on your baby’s forehead and behind each ear. The equipment presents soft clicks to the ear. The sound travels from the earpiece, through the hearing system, to the brain. The electrodes transmit your baby’s response to sound to a computer.  

  • What If My Baby Does Not Pass the Newborn Hearing Screening?

    Screening should be completed before your baby turns 1 month of age. Babies who do not pass hearing screening should be tested by a pediatric audiologist before 3 months of age. A pediatric audiologist will do additional testing to figure out if there is permanent childhood hearing loss. Not all babies who "do not pass" a hearing screening will have hearing loss. However, if hearing loss is present, it is critical to get a diagnosis prior to 3 months of age and receive early intervention before 6 months of age.