Do newborns receive a hearing screening?
A. All newborns in Texas born in a hospital or birthing center must either be offered a hearing screen or referred to a facility that offers one. About 98 percent of all newborns are screened for hearing. When the law was enacted in 1999, some birth facilities in sparsely populated areas of the state were given an exemption from the law. Since that time, most exempt birth facilities in Texas have chosen to offer the hearing screen, and there currently are fewer than 10 birth facilities that do not provide the hearing screen. Those that do not offer the screen refer families to facilities that do provide the hearing screen. Families who have home births should ask their midwife for a referral to a local pediatric audiologist for a hearing screen.
