Question
What is the best time to perform newborn hearing screening?
Answer
Newborns start to have air enter the middle ear from 3 to 7 days after birth. During this period, their hearing becomes quite sensitive. If someone shouts loudly or makes other noises at this time, they may exhibit stress responses such as opening or closing their eyes, shock, accelerated or slowed breathing, and so on. Those who are carrying the baby may also experience similar reactions. When they hear a sudden sound, their upper limbs will spread out and straighten, fingers will open, and then the upper limbs will bend to form the Moro reflex. These phenomena can serve as reference indicators for newborn hearing screening.