Healthy Communities

Hospitals and Related Instutitions

Birth hospitals have the important mission of beginning each newborn’s journey of healthy hearing by screening the baby before they are discharged. If the baby fails this initial screening, follow up with a rescreen or refer to a pediatric audiologist for a diagnosis by three months of age, and if needed the baby will begin early intervention services by six months of age.   

“The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH 2000, 2007) recommends all infants are screened no later than 1 month of age to maximize social, emotional, and linguistic outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing” (NCHAM, 2016, p. 2-1).  Approximately 99% of Arkansas newborns receive an initial hearing screen before they leave the hospital. Hospital staff then create the hearing screening record which is reported and tracked by the Infant Hearing Program per state law.
 

Resources and Information

Forms

Public Health Accrediation Board
Arkansas Department of Health
© 2017 Arkansas Department of Health. All Rights Reserved. www.healthy.arkansas.gov
4815 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72205-3867
1-800-462-0599