Newborn Hearing Screening

Effective October 1, 2022, NCH Healthcare System has brought the newborn hearing screening program in-house. The hearing screening program at NCH has a certified team of dedicated hearing screeners under the supervision of a Nicklaus Children’s Medical Director. These services will be provided in both the NICU and Mom & Baby floors. Parents will not be billed for any hearing screening services effective 10/1/22. Hearing screenings are required for all babies in the state of Florida to detect hearing loss and/or viruses present at birth. Early detection is key to the development of hearing, speech, and language development.

Upon passing the hearing screening, parents will be provided with a Certificate of Completion to indicate their baby passed their hearing screening. If one or both ears do not pass, the baby will be tested for Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common virus that can affect hearing, and referred to an audiologist for further testing and intervention. It is important to continue to monitor your child’s hearing, speech, and language development as they grow; if you ever feel your child’s hearing may not be developing appropriately, please see your pediatrician as soon as possible.