Preventing Hearing Loss

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 15, 2011

County Offering No-cost Infant Hearing Screening

Washington County Department of Health and Human Services- Public Health Division, in partnership with the Oregon Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program, is offering no-cost infant hearing screening for infants who did not receive a newborn hearing screen.

Permanent hearing loss is the most common birth defect, and it is difficult to identify without screening. In Oregon, only large hospitals are required to screen for hearing loss; infants born in smaller hospitals or non-hospital settings may not be regularly screened.

"This is prevention at its best," said Dr. Jennifer Vines, Deputy Health Officer for Washington County, "because it is simple, non-invasive, and helps to ensure children are identified early as needing extra support."

Before newborn hearing screening programs, children with hearing loss often were identified too late and would graduate from high school with low reading and language levels. Hearing is essential to child development – for language acquisition, speech, social-emotional development and learning. With early detection, children with hearing loss can reach the same milestones as their hearing peers.

Screening takes less than ten minutes to complete. It is the first step to see if a baby may need additional hearing testing. If your infant did not receive a newborn hearing screen, contact Nena Newsom, Washington County Public Health, at 503-846-4872, to schedule an appointment. 

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