Newborn Screening
Can a Baby Pass the Test and Still Have Hearing Loss?
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Although it doesn't happen very often, sometimes babies can pass a hearing test and still have hearing loss. Some mild hearing losses or losses that affect only some pitches may not be picked up by the screening test.

Some infants have hearing loss that is not present at birth. These babies are born with normal hearing, but develop a hearing loss later. This may happen because of illness or because of some genetic condition.

Hearing loss after the newborn period might also happen because of the use of certain medications or from an accident or disease.

If your baby has risk factors for a later-occurring hearing loss or if you have concerns about your child's responses to sound or his or her speech development, you should discuss this with your baby's doctor.

It is important to keep in mind that regardless of your baby's age, there are safe and accurate tests that can be used to measure how your baby hears.