Newborn Screening

Hearing screening can protect your child’s future

San Ramon Regional Medical Center tests newborn babies for hearing impairments before you take them home. Hearing impairment is one of the most common disabilities at birth and may affect language development. 

Research shows that infants identified with hearing impairment at birth have a greater opportunity to develop within the normal range of language comprehension, verbal expression, and psychosocial development than children who are identified later.  

Hearing screening technology we utilize

San Ramon Regional Medical Center uses the ALGO™ Newborn Hearing Screener, which tests the baby's entire hearing pathway, from the ear to the brain stem. The hearing screener utilizes auditory brain stem response technology, which records the baby's brainwave responses to a series of soft clicks and compares them to a pattern of normal responses. The testing is conducted while the baby sleeps and is non-invasive. Parents have the results prior to discharge from the hospital.

You can find out more about newborn screening by visiting these links:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Centers for Disease Control