Question
My baby is seven days old today and has not passed the hearing screening yet. Although the doctor told us not to worry, I still feel worried and don’t know what to do. My heart is always hanging in the balance. I would like to ask what is the passing rate for newborn hearing screening?
Answer
Statistics indicate that comparisons and observations have been made on the initial screening times of newborns at 24, 48, and 72 hours after birth. The passing rates for the initial screenings were 58.5%, 80.0%, 95.5%, 65.0%, 86.7%, and 92.3%. Newborns who did not pass the initial screening were re-screened after 42 days. The passing rates were 97.8% and 94.02%. As age increases, the passing rate of hearing screening gradually improves, especially for newborns who did not pass the initial screening. The re-screening passing rate after 42 days reaches over 90%. This shows that the passing rate of newborn hearing screening is positively correlated with the child’s age. Therefore, parents need not worry too much.