About one or two babies in every thousand are born with a permanent hearing loss in one or both ears. Most of these babies are born into families with no history of hearing loss.
Finding out early can give them a better chance of developing communication skills and help them make the most of relationships with their families and carers from an early age.
The newborn hearing screening test helps to identify babies who have permanent hearing loss as early as possible. This means parents can get the support and advice they need right from the start.
If you give birth in hospital, you may be offered a newborn hearing test for your baby before you are discharged. In some areas it will be done by a health professional, healthcare assistant or health visitor within the first few weeks.
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