Birth of a baby is a joyous moment in the family. Detecting a hearing loss in the newborn is of utmost importance and it is recommended that before the child is discharged from the hospital, newborn hearing screening is done. 

It is a general view that only babies with complications need to be tested for hearing loss. But the studies show that 40% of the newborn babies who are normal can have a degree of hearing loss.

Universal newborn hearing screening is therefore recommended. It is a simple and painless test, wherein a click sound is given to the child's ear and the response is recorded in a small device. The result is shown as pass or fail. If the test result comes as fail, repeat the test as even some debris in the canal can cause it. If the child fails the test again, other tests like auditory brainstem response audiometry are recommended.

If you don't hear, you don't speak! Early detection of hearing loss can prevent speech delay and promote cognitive and language development.