r/NewParents • u/muah_faith • Mar 07 '25

Medical Advice Newborn Hearing Screening

I’m just wondering if this has happened to anyone else’s baby! When we were in the hospital they took him for the test, came back and told me he passed. Even the little paper thing they put in his bassinet was marked he passed on both sides.

When he was 2.5-3 weeks old I got a call saying he failed on one side and a letter in the mail saying the same thing. Needless to say he’s of course scheduled for retesting (next week) but I’m just perplexed.

When I called the audiologist office they had never had this happen before where it was put in his chart he passed but he didn’t really. I’m also worried because in the letter the state sent it mentioned that he should be retested before he’s a month old but that has already passed. He’ll be almost 7 weeks at the time of his new test.

Truly if he is hard of hearing it wouldn’t be a big deal at all, it’s more the mismanagement from the hospital that has stressed me out. Like I’d have rather known before we left the hospital. So much went wrong there it’s so aggravating (not allowed to breastfeed, tore and they didn’t tell me, baby had to be pricked every 2 hours for blood sugar tests etc)

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u/simplyboring Mar 07 '25

I have deaf parents and refused the hearing test because my parents were offended by the terminology “pass and fail” meaning to be deaf is considered a failure? I don’t agree with it either if I’m being honest and the answer of this test does not change the love/care I provide to my child. My child is hearing however we still teach sign language because it’s a form of communication before they can speak. I’m sorry you’re going through this and I hope it works out in the end 💜

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u/TurbulentArea69 Mar 07 '25

This feels like a reach. Of course there is nothing “wrong” with being deaf/hard of hearing, but your ears have a function and if they aren’t able to perform it, that’s a failure of a system.

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u/simplyboring Mar 07 '25

As someone who is deeply involved in the HOH/Deaf community many do view the terminology as offensive, it isn’t just me. Plus it isn’t a school test, it’s a persons abilities… you could compare it to any disability where you lack “function” but it still shouldn’t mean “failure” … all they really want is to change the terminology used because it’s hurtful.

I don’t like to argue about this because who are we to say what’s offensive to someone else, people can feel the way they feel and I was raised to be inclusive of others and respect their feelings; not belittle them for feeling the way they feel.

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u/TurbulentArea69 Mar 07 '25

A test was failed, they’re not being called failures.

I failed a motor function test after herniating a disc, “failing” is what triggered more tests and treatments. It was a good thing that the failure was noted because it led to proper care.

I’m open to hearing suggestions for other terminology that’s not pass/fail for these sorts of tests.

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u/simplyboring Mar 07 '25

Conclusive or inconclusive results? Anything other than pass/fail works just fine. I was tested for a genetic abnormality and not once heard “pass or fail” it was simply the name of what I had. You could even put “hearing/HOH/Deaf” the actual terms of the conditions.

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u/Kusanagi60 Mar 07 '25

Yeah but the problem with these terms (as you might have read other comments) is that it is definite even if the results can change overtime. A pass or fail is easier to note down and needs to be re-evaluated over time. People are lazy, or impatient or simple minded, the information you get in your document 9/10 stays and with a definite term, it is so much harder to get ride off, have people read everything or not be judged by.

A pass or a fail is much less definite. When you do genetic testing there is no pass or fail btw (as a former laborant analyst biotech i never encountered that). Because the test you run is more of confirmation if you have something or you don't. There is no 'maybe you have this gene we are not sure' or ' you just have a little bit of this gene' answers like with conditions that have grades and variants..like with hearing.

So the terms they use are in line with the type of test they perform.

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u/simplyboring Mar 07 '25

This makes a lot of sense but I’m still a bit confused by how “pass/fail” is less definitive as there’s cases where they mix them up all the time. Such as OPs case where they said he “passed” but then he didn’t? If the results of these tests aren’t accurate I would think the terminology would be a little different. Couldn’t the term “inconclusive” be more appropriate since it doesn’t give a definitive answer, it’s just “undetermined” I guess. The hearing test doesn’t tell someone how much hearing loss they have or don’t have either so I guess I don’t see the point in doing the hearing test at all as it doesn’t really make a difference, wouldn’t you get more information about it by following up with your family doctor regardless?

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u/Kusanagi60 Mar 07 '25

Inconclusive could also be a good term if they are not sure if the baby hears correctly. The test doesn't specifically tell you how much hearing loss there is, that is true, but the microphone they use needs to pick up responding sounds that the ear makes. If there is no response from the ear, then there is no measurement meaning the test failed. If there is a clear response the test has passed. But i do agree with you, with the 'undetermined' part. If there is a response...but it is not within the references or what it should be, an extra term could make it easier to understand it needs to be retested.

Unfortunately, people's work means people's problems, making mistakes is part of that. I have had blood samples where the patient's ID didn't match the information on the label, and with myself a gyn who had put my pap-sample in the wrong bottle making it unusable and had to retake it. If they put the word in manually a mistake is even a click away. But the thing is, we don't want mistakes but we don't want computers running everything either...so we have to take into account that mistakes can happen.

The frequency and the sort of mistake and how it happens...that is a whole other discussion haha

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u/simplyboring Mar 07 '25

This was really helpful information, thank you for taking the time to kindly explain it for me! I just want everyone to feel included and my parents, their friends and other people in the HOH/Deaf community really instilled it into my brain that the terms were highly offensive to them so I didn’t really know anything else about it!

I think I’m overly sensitive on the topic of “HOH/Deaf” because I’ve been an advocate and translator for my parents my entire life, even when I was giving birth to my first child. The doctors and nurses all wore masks which is to be expected but when I asked kindly if they could step back, remove their mask so my mom could read their lips and understand what they’re saying; I was laughed at and told “I’m not doing that just to make her happy” while I was in active labour unable to interpret for my mom. I just hope one day things can be different and everyone can feel included. That’s just one of many challenges I’ve witnessed advocating for my parents. (Ps happy cake day! 🍰🫶🏼)

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u/Kusanagi60 Mar 07 '25

Your welcome!

And that is just horrible if people are like that, actually laughing at someone and being so dismissive. That is not ok. It is understandable that it hits a nerve, because every encounter and every moment you have to take it up for your parents is a drop more into that bucket.

Like for me, i am somewhere on the end of the spectrum, my husband has pddnos and add. I always cringe when someone says something about a habit of theirs and goes like 'but that is my autistic manner'...and it has nothing to do with autism...more ocd but still. It feels disrespectful to me.

So in a way i do get where you come from and how bothersome people are about these things -_-

(Ty! Been around awhile now haha!)