Families may be told not to worry if their baby doesn't pass the first hearing test. Doctors might say it is probably just fluid or wax in the ears. They might tell you to wait and see if your child has trouble talking later on.

FACT: While fluid can cause a baby to miss a test, waiting is risky. Experts say that babies who do not pass their first hearing screenings should be tested by an audiologist by the time they are 3 months old. Waiting too long can make it harder for your child to learn language on time.

Action: If your baby has referred on two hearing screenings, you should be seen by a pediatric audiologist for a diagnostic hearing test. If you need help getting finding an audiologist, you may want to use the EHDIPALS directory. If you need help getting a referral, you can contact the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention specialists at tehdi@dshs.texas.gov.

Families with new babies may consider other medical issues to be serious and worth attention. A referral on a hearing screening can seem unimportant, even though normal hearing is critical to the development of listening and spoken language.

FACT: Sometimes, hospitals and family doctors do not share information as well as they should. A hospital might forget to explain how important the test was, or the regular doctor might not get the notes. This leaves both parents and doctors confused about what to do next. Even if the hospital didn't seem worried, a missed or failed hearing test always needs to be checked out right away.

Action: If your baby has referred on two hearing screenings, you should be seen by a pediatric audiologist for a diagnostic hearing test. If you need help getting finding an audiologist, you may want to use the EHDIPALS directory. If you need help getting a referral, you can contact the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention specialists at tehdi@dshs.texas.gov.

Some families are told not to worry if their baby only refers for the test in one ear. Doctors might say it is fine to wait and check it again much later. Families who live far away from big cities are often told it isn't worth traveling a long distance just for one ear.

FACT:Both ears matter. Even if a baby can hear well out of one ear, trouble in the other ear can still make it hard to learn language. It can also make it hard to do well in school and figure out where a sound is coming from. If your baby does not pass the test in even one ear, they need a full hearing check right away.

Action: If your baby has referred on two hearing screenings, on one or both ears, you should be seen by a pediatric audiologist. If you need help getting finding an audiologist, you may want to use the EHDIPALS directory. If you need help getting a referral, you can contact the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention specialists at tehdi@dshs.texas.gov.

Many families are told that their baby can hear well just because the baby startles at loud noises or turns toward voices. This makes parents feel relieved, so they often wait to get more help.

FACT:Responding sounds does not mean a baby can hear everything. Some babies can hear loud noises but still miss quiet sounds. Others might hear well out of only one ear, or they might only miss certain types of sounds. Watching how your baby acts is not enough to prove their hearing is okay. Waiting to find out can delay your child from learning language.

Action: If your baby has referred on two hearing screenings, on one or both ears, you should be seen by a pediatric audiologist. If you need help getting finding an audiologist, you may want to use the EHDIPALS directory. If you need help getting a referral, you can contact the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention specialists at tehdi@dshs.texas.gov.

Families may be told that newborn hearing screening is unreliable in newborns or premature infants and that “their hearing isn’t fully developed yet.” When parents believe the test won't work, they might wait too long to get help. Testing early is the best way to make sure babies get the care they need.

FACT: The diagnostic hearing test used by pediatric audiologists is called an ABR, for Auditory Brainstem Response. It is made to work with babies, even those born early, and it provides clear information about what your baby can and cannot hear. Most babies sleep through the test with tiny stickers on their heads to measure responses to sound.

Action: If your baby has referred on two hearing screenings, on one or both ears, you should be seen by a pediatric audiologist for an ABR. If you need help finding an audiologist, you may want to use the EHDIPALS directory. If you need help getting a referral, you can contact the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention specialists at tehdi@dshs.texas.gov.. The best way to get your baby ready for an ABR is to get them ready to sleep at the audiologist’s office. Babies who are ready for a bottle and a nap are the easiest to test.

Families may be told that waiting until the child is older makes since, especially when it is challenging to find an audiologist close by, and when there are no obvious delays at a young age. Testing early is the best way to make sure babies get the care they need.

FACT: Regular doctors are great, but they do not have the special equipment and training to test a baby's hearing accurately using ABR (auditory Brainstem Response). Waiting too long to see an audiologist can cause delays in a baby's learning. Even if the specialist is far away, getting tested early is very important. Families should also know that it is not a family doctor, pediatrician or even an ENT doctor that diagnoses a hearing loss. Only an audiologist diagnoses hearing loss.

Action: If your baby has referred on two hearing screenings, on one or both ears, you should be seen by a pediatric audiologist for an ABR. If you need help getting finding an audiologist, you may want to use the EHDIPALS directory. If you need help getting a referral, you can contact the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention specialists at tehdi@dshs.texas.gov.

Families may not understand the difference between a hearing “screening” and a “diagnostic” hearing test. A screening only tells us that there might be a problem. A diagnostic test actually measures the level of hearing accurately, and this requires an audiologist completing an ABR (Auditory Brainstem Response) testing. Some offices perform repeated screening tests rather than referring for diagnostic testing after multiple failed screens. This is bad practice.

FACT: If a baby does not pass a hearing screening test, doing the same quick screening test over and over is a bad idea. It can trick people into waiting too long. Instead, the baby needs to see an audiologist for an ABR. Passing the quick test later does not mean everything is okay, and waiting can cause delays in getting the baby the right help.

Action: If your baby has referred on two hearing screenings, on one or both ears, you should be seen by a pediatric audiologist for an ABR. If you need help getting finding an audiologist, you may want to use the EHDIPALS directory. If you need help getting a referral, you can contact the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention specialists at tehdi@dshs.texas.gov.

Families may feel uncertain about the need to follow up with a specialist when everything seems “normal” during the first year or two before most babies start talking. This can delay identification of a hearing loss.

Fact: Waiting until a child is two is much too late! Babies need to be exposed to language right away to help their brains grow. Specialists use a 1-3-6 rule to help babies:

• 1 month old: Get a quick hearing screening test.

• 3 months old: See a audiologist for a special test if there is a problem or concern.

• 6 months old: Get support right away from early intervention.

If you wait until a child is behind in talking, they have already missed a lot of time to learn.

Action: If your baby has referred on two hearing screenings, on one or both ears, you should be seen by a pediatric audiologist for an ABR. If you need help getting finding an audiologist, you may want to use the EHDIPALS directory. If you need help getting a referral, you can contact the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention specialists at tehdi@dshs.texas.gov.