Detecting Newborn hearing problems Detecting Newborn Hearing Problems Doctors now can detect hearing problems in newborn infants. In the past, a child's hearing problems weren't diagnosed until school hearing tests discovered them. By that time, the child had missed crucial stages in language development.
New technology allows doctors to test newborn infants' hearing before they leave the hospital.
Doctors in North Carolina say there are pros and cons to universal infant hearing testing. On the plus side, these tests would be sure to catch problems at the earliest possible stage, when intervention can make sure that children develop language normally during the most formative years. At the same time, this kind of testing is expensive. Universal screening may also result in false positives, which would be disturbing for families and possibly result in unnecessary treatment. A better approach might be to limit screening to high-risk infants, such as those with brain abnormalities or those from families with a history of hearing problems.