Ohio law requires that all hospitals and birthing centers test a newborn baby’s hearing before they’re discharged. The hearing screening determines whether a diagnostic evaluation of your baby's hearing is needed, and the reports must be sent to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

If your baby doesn’t pass their newborn hearing screening, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your baby is deaf or hard of hearing. It just means that additional testing by a licensed pediatric audiologist is needed.

Why are hearing tests for newborns important?

Research says that 1 in 500 babies in the United States is born deaf or hard of hearing. Around 90% of those babies are born to hearing parents who may not suspect their baby has hearing loss.

Since babies typically don’t talk or interact much in their first few months of life, hearing parents may not recognize the signs that their child is struggling with hearing loss. Before hospitals were required to perform hearing screenings, children struggling with hearing loss often didn’t get diagnosed until they were toddler-aged or even starting kindergarten. This meant they missed out on essential communication and social development.

Diagnostic hearing testing is important because the earlier you identify a hearing loss in a baby, the better it is for the baby.

What happens if my baby does not pass their newborn hearing test?

If your baby does not pass their newborn hearing screening at the hospital, you should have received instructions to follow up with a licensed pediatric audiologist. Ideally, you will follow up before your child is three months, but if not, then as soon as possible (even if your baby is older than three months. The audiologist will perform a comprehensive hearing evaluation to determine if hearing loss is present.

If your baby is found to have hearing loss you should work closely with the audiologist to ensure your child receives the medical care needed to treat their hearing loss, including being fit with any technology that will help them succeed such as hearing aids or, if appropriate, cochlear implants. In addition, they should be enrolled in early intervention services by six months of age.

The Infant Hearing Program at Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center

If your child has permanent hearing loss, your family is eligible for specialized early intervention services provided by the Infant Hearing Program, in conjunction with Help Me Grow.

What is the Infant Hearing Program?

The Infant Hearing Program, partially funded by the Ohio Department of Health, is a family-focused outreach service for infants and toddlers (between the ages of birth and 3) who are deaf or hard of hearing. All intervention services are provided at no cost to families. The goal is to ensure that families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing receive complete information and the help they need to understand their child's hearing loss.

Each family is assigned a Hearing Services Provider who comes to see you and your child and can provide:

• Unbiased information on important topics such as hearing loss, hearing aids, cochlear implants, and communication options. The Hearing Services Provider will help you make informed decisions that are best for your child and your family.
• Suggestions for how you can help your child build communication, language and literacy skills.
• Provide links to community resources to help you and your child.
• Provide opportunities for you to meet other families who have children with hearing loss and to interact with members of the Deaf community.
• Information on hearing, hearing loss, amplification, assisted listening devices, and cochlear implants 
• Unbiased information on all communication options and educational settings 
• Information on child development.
• Suggestions for building communication and language skills.
• Regular progress checks on communication and language development.
• Assistance obtaining appropriate services through referral and advocacy.
• Links to audiology, speech and language therapy, school programs, family support services, and community resources.
• Support from D/deaf adults and the Deaf community.
• Links to other families.
• Collaboration with other state agencies (such as Help Me Grow) and professional organizations.

Additional support includes: 

Schedule Your Newborn Hearing Screening at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center

If you’re concerned about your child’s hearing or want additional information regarding the Infant Hearing Program, please reach out to Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center at 216-231-8787.

Source:

https://www.asha.org/news/2025/newborn-hearing-screening-a-vital-check-for-every-baby/?srsltid=AfmBOooSRdzscKIrmZkX9m4BWjyTU0OFxfflhltgRXSM02shdLXc4pYR