Screening should be done by properly trained personnel.

Screening is faster and easier if babies are quiet and the environment isn’t too chaotic.

Screen when the baby is quiet or asleep.

Infants who do not pass the screening test(s) before discharge must be referred for diagnostic testing. The primary care provider needs to be alerted prior to discharge that the infant failed the initial screening.

Make an effort to re-screen, prior to discharge, infants who did not pass the first screening test. The primary care provider needs to see the infant to check for fluid or debris in the external ear canal before the repeat screening test is administered. This will greatly reduce the number of infants requiring diagnostic follow-up.

The Birth Score Developmental Risk Screen must be marked to indicate the results of the screening test. Copies of the test results must be attached to the child’s medical record, including a chart notation “not screened” when appropriate. A completed Birth Score Developmental Screen must be submitted on all newborns including those marked “not screened.”

Any infant not screened prior to hospital discharge for any reason other than parental refusal, must be referred for screening, as per newborn hearing screening policy.