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  2. Individual and Family Health
  3. Preventive Health Care for Children, Teens and Young Adults
  4. Early Hearing Detection And Intervention: A Roadmap To Success
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Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI)

  • EHDI Home
  • Roadmap for Success
  • Find a Minnesota Provider
  • Resource Binder for Families - What you Need to Know (PDF)
  • Resources for Families
  • Contact Us

Parts of EHDI

  • Medical Home
  • Inpatient Screening
  • Outpatient Screening
  • Out of Hospital Births
  • Pediatric Audiology
  • Specialty Care
  • Early Intervention
  • State EHDI Program

Related Programs

  • Newborn Screening
  • Children and Youth with Special Health Needs

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI)

  • EHDI Home
  • Roadmap for Success
  • Find a Minnesota Provider
  • Resource Binder for Families - What you Need to Know (PDF)
  • Resources for Families
  • Contact Us

Parts of EHDI

  • Medical Home
  • Inpatient Screening
  • Outpatient Screening
  • Out of Hospital Births
  • Pediatric Audiology
  • Specialty Care
  • Early Intervention
  • State EHDI Program

Related Programs

  • Newborn Screening
  • Children and Youth with Special Health Needs
Contact Info
Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI)
651-201-5466
800-664-7772
ehdi@state.mn.us
health.newbornhearing@state.mn.us

Contact Info

Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI)
651-201-5466
800-664-7772
ehdi@state.mn.us
health.newbornhearing@state.mn.us

Out of Hospital Births: At Birth

Infant

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Introduction

Closing the follow-up gap: Out of hospital births

Role of Midwives

There are many midwives throughout the state of Minnesota with access to screening equipment who have been trained by our program's audiologists to perform newborn hearing screening. The Minnesota Council of Professional Midwives (MCCPM), for example, has distributed hearing screening equipment to trained members practicing across the state to screen newborns for hearing loss. MCCPM members also offer newborn hearing screening to families who are not clients in their practice. Please visit our Midwives Offering Newborn Hearing Screening page for a list of midwives who offer hearing screening.

Midwives who do not have access to hearing screening equipment should educate parents about newborn hearing screening and set up a hearing screening appointment with another provider before the infant is one month of age. Midwives who refer families to other providers for hearing screenings are encouraged to fill out the Notification of Newborn Hearing Screening Appointment form and fax or mail it to our program staff. Copies of this form can be ordered free-of-charge on the Education Materials and Forms page.

Important Steps to Cover

Educate parents about newborn hearing screening

Schedule infants for screening with another provider if unable to provide hearing screening at your site (Midwives Offering Newborn Hearing Screening, Specialist Resources: Diagnostic Audiology Centers)

Prepare quiet infant for testing

Screen both ears by 3 days postpartum (OAE Testing Steps & Do's and Don'ts)

Rescreen by 2 weeks postpartum if initial results is a REFER (REFER=did not pass) (Newborn Hearing Screening Flowchart: Out-of-Hospital Births)

Document results in baby's medical record and hearing screening log book

Report results to the parent, primary care provider, and MDH Newborn Screening Program

Hearing PASS Result* (English) *Available in English, Hmong, Karen, Russian, Somali and Spanish (Hearing PASS Result order form)

Hearing ALERT: REFER Result* (English) *Available in English, Hmong, Karen, Russian, Somali and Spanish (Hearing ALERT: REFER Result order form)

Tips for Communicating Results to Families

Schedule appointment for diagnostic audiology evaluation as soon as possible for infants who did not pass their rescreen (Specialist Resources: Diagnostic Audiology Centers)

Have a plan for missed screens and equipment breakdown

Tips for Improvement

Misconception: Hearing loss does not occur very often, so newborn hearing screening is not necessary.

Clinical Fact: Hearing loss affects about 1-3 per 1000 births, and is considered to be one of the most common congenital findings.

Misconception: Parents can test a child's hearing by clapping their hands or banging pots near the child.

Clinical Fact: Some babies with hearing loss can still startle to loud noises or respond to some sounds, but may not be able to hear all the sounds important for speech. Thorough hearing testing is needed to find all types/levels of hearing loss that can affect speech/language development.

Misconception: There is no rush to identify hearing loss.

Clinical Fact: Children identified with hearing loss after 6 months of age are more likely to have speech and language delays. Children identified before this time, can avoid these delays through evidence-based early intervention.

More Hearing Screening Myths

Best Practice Guidelines

Resources

National

2019 Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Position Statement

Supplement to the JCIH 2007 Position Statement: Principles and Guidelines for Early Intervention After Confirmation That a Child Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Minnesota

Guidelines for Universal Newborn Hearing Screening for Out-of-Hospital Births

Tools for Improvement

Resources

Materials marked with * are available to order free of charge on the Minnesota Newborn Screening Program website.

Resources for Providers

Out of Hospital Birth Newborn Hearing Screening Brochure*

Hearing Screener Competency Checklist

Hearing Screening Provider Fact Sheet

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Policy and Procedure for Out of Hospital Births

Newborn Hearing Screening Flowchart: Out-of-Hospital Births

OAE Testing Tips

Notification of Newborn Hearing Screening Appointment - for midwives

Preparing for Your Baby's Audiology Appointment

Hearing PASS Result* (English) *Available in English, Hmong, Karen, Russian, Somali and Spanish (Hearing PASS Result order form)

Hearing ALERT: REFER Result* (English) *Available in English, Hmong, Karen, Russian, Somali and Spanish (Hearing ALERT: REFER Result order form)

Tips for Communicating REFER Results to Families

Resources For Families

Your Baby's Hearing Screening and Next Steps

Hearing Developmental Milestones (2nd page of Hearing PASS Result)

Hearing Screening Family Fact Sheet (REFER/Did Not Pass)

Resources In The Community

Minnesota Hands and Voices

Minnesota Hands and Voices: Resource Directory

Training Opportunities

Newborn Hearing Screening Training Curriculum (NCHAM)

Improvement in Action

Newborn Hearing Screening Training (NCHAM)

The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) provides Newborn Hearing Screening Training (full screen)

  • See Module 3 for Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)
  • See Module 4 for Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (A-ABR)
National Initiatives for Children's Healthcare Quality Logo

Standardize the process for documenting all newborn screening results in the baby's medical record

Record and report the results to the state EHDI program via MNScreen, the electronic reporting system

Use standardized communications (written and verbal) to parents about newborn screening results

Verify the PCP/Medical Home (vital to ensure accurate follow-up)

Communicate did not pass results to the PCP/Medical Home as a modified critical value requiring confirmation

Identify two points of contact for families of infants who did not pass (i.e. a relative or friend)

Provide clear communication about next steps

Schedule any needed follow-up appointments, stressing importance with families

Offer a referral to local public health for infants who did not pass

Tags
  • children youth
Last Updated: 01/18/2023

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