A newborn infant hearing screening is performed before a child is discharged from the hospital. If an infant doesn't pass the test, a rescreen is performed. Detecting hearing loss at an early age increases a child's chance of having a healthy and more productive life. There are two methods of testing hearing in infants: auditory brainstem response (ABR) and otoacoustic emission (OAE). Both tests are accurate, automated, and don't require a visible response from the infant. Read more: Newborn Infant Hearing Screening Article
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
-
Your Child's First Year of Development
What developmental milestones can you expect to see during baby's first year? Find out when babies learn to smile, laugh, crawl,...
-
Baby Skin Care: Tips to Keep Newborn’s Skin Healthy
Baby skin care products can help with peeling, rashes, baby acne, and dryness that can develop on a newborn baby's skin. Develop...
-
Baby's First Year: Milestones Month by Month
When do babies learn to crawl? Start teething? Learn about major milestones in your baby's first months. Get tips on how to help...
-
Newborn Quiz: Baby Care Facts
Take the Babies Quiz to learn what milestones and developments you can expect from your baby’s first year.
-
Newborn Skin-Care: Rashes, Umbilical Cord Care, Bathing & Baby Products
See what normal newborn skin looks like and learn how to care for it. WebMD shows you diapering and bathing tips.
-
Picture of Ear
There are three sections of the ear, according to the anatomy textbooks. They are the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner...
QUESTION
Newborn babies don't sleep very much. See AnswerRelated Disease Conditions
-
Jaundice in Adults (Hyperbilirubinemia)
Jaundice or hyperbilirubinemia in adults is caused by an underlying disease or condition. Learn about when to worry about jaundice in adults, symptoms, treatment, causes, diagnosis, and prevention.
-
How Long Can a Newborn Go Without Peeing?
A newborn baby usually passes urine for the first time within 12-24 hours after birth. Not peeing in the first 24 hours points to some urinary tract problem. Here are signs to look for and when to call a doctor.
-
What Are the Steps in Neonatal Resuscitation?
Neonatal resuscitation is a series of emergency procedures performed by a doctor to support newborn babies who are not breathing, are gasping or have a weak heartbeat at birth. These skills allow a doctor to save the lives of newborn babies.
-
Pregnancy Planning (Tips)
Pregnancy planning is an important step in preparation for starting or expanding a family. Planning for a pregnancy includes taking prenatal vitamins, eating healthy for you and your baby, disease prevention (for both parents and baby) to prevent birth defects and infections, avoiding certain medications that may be harmful to your baby, how much weight gain is healthy exercise safety and pregnancy, travel during pregnancy.
-
Is Gripe Water Safe for Newborns?
As gripe water is a supplement and not a medication, it doesn't come under the regulation of the United States Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA), which means that there is no guarantee for the ingredients mentioned on the label.
-
Doula vs. Midwife
A midwife and doula are not the same thing. A doula's job is to provide non-medical, emotional, and personal support to a woman throughout her pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum experience. A certified nurse midwife is a medical health care professional that manages the overall general health of the mother and baby; for example, performs exams, orders laboratory tests, and procedures, and performs fetal monitoring from the pregnant woman's first prenatal visit to post-partum and aftercare. A midwife can deliver the baby, whereas a doula cannot. A midwife usually tries to minimize the use of unnecessary technological interventions. A midwife cannot perform C-sections, use vacuums or forceps during labor and delivery.
-
Newborn Jaundice (Neonatal Jaundice)
Jaundice in newborns and babies (neonatal jaundice) usually occurs because of a normal increase in red blood cell breakdown and the fact that their immature livers are not efficient at removing bilirubin from the bloodstream. Symptoms of jaundice are fever, poor feeding, and looking ill. Newborn jaundice is very common and is caused because the newborn's liver isn’t mature enough to remove bilirubin from the blood. Treatment of jaundice in newborns includes phototherapy, tanning booths, and other treatments.
-
Urine Blockage in Newborns
There are many syndromes and defects that may cause urine blockage in newborns. Defects in the urinary tract that may cause urine blockage include vesicoureteral reflux, ureteropelvic junction obstruction, bladder outlet obstruction, posterior urethral valves, nerve disease, and ureterocele. Syndromes that may cause urinary blockage include congenital heart defects, esophageal atresia, and prune belly syndrome. Treatment for urine blockage in newborns depends on the cause of the blockage.
-
What Is Cooing for a Baby?
Cooing is the precious sound babies make and it is their first vocal milestone. Cooing is a combination of laughter and vowel sounds and typically lets you know your baby is happy and content.
-
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss (deafness) may be present at birth or it may manifest later in life. Deafness may be genetic or due to damage from noise. Treatment of deafness depends upon its cause. Sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by conditions affecting the cochlea, eighth cranial nerve, spinal cord, or brain. Examples of conditions that can lead to sensorineural hearing loss include Meniere's disease, noise-induced hearing loss, hearing loss of aging (presbycusis), nerve injury from syphilis, hearing loss of unknown cause (idiopathic hearing loss), nerve tumors, and drug toxicity (such as aspirin and aminoglycosides).
-
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis (toxo) is a parasitic infection that causes flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and muscle aches and pains that may last from a few days to several weeks. Toxoplasmosis can be contracted by touching the hands to the mouth after gardening, cleaning a cat's litter box, or anything that came into contact with cat feces. Toxoplasmosis can also be contracted by eating raw or partly cooked meat, especially pork or lamb, or touching the hands to the mouth after contact with raw or undercooked meat
-
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Its Prevention
Noise-induced hearing loss may be an acoustic trauma, which causes temporary hearing loss, or it may be permanent due to an acute acoustic trauma. Experts agree that continual exposure to more than 85 dBs (decibels) is dangerous to the ears. Ear plugs and ear muffs can help prevent noise-induced hearing loss as well as decreasing exposure to loud noises.
-
German Measles (Rubella)
German measles is a disease that's caused by a virus. Symptoms include rash and fever for two to three days. The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine prevents this disease.
-
What Is an Epstein Pearl?
Epstein pearls are whitish-yellow cysts seen on the gums and roof of the mouth in a newborn baby. These white bumps are harmless and usually go away on their own.
-
How Do You Comfort a Sick Baby?
Babies commonly get six to eight colds per year. Comfort a sick baby by using saline nasal spray with suction, increasing humidity, giving warm fluids, heaving them sleep on an incline and using medications for pain and fever as advised by your pediatrician.
-
Jaundice (Newborn, Kernicterus)
Jaundice in infants occur when the baby's liver may not be developed enough to efficiently rid the body of bilirubin. Symptoms of jaundice include yellowish colored eyes, and yellowing of the skin. Some babies are more at risk to develop jaundice. Kernicterus is a type of brain damage that occurs when a baby has jaundice and is not treated. Treatment of infant jaundice is generally with phototherapy so that kernicterus should not develop.
-
How Is Meconium Ileus Treated?
Meconium ileus, a serious condition in newborn babies in which the intestines are blocked by the infant’s first stool, often needs surgical intervention and usually indicates the child will struggle with the congenital disease cystic fibrosis throughout their lives.
-
When Should I Be Concerned About My Newborn's Jaundice?
If your baby is healthy, mild jaundice is usually not a cause for concern. Learn about signs to look for with newborn jaundice and when to seek treatment.
-
What Is a Heel Stick Test?
The heel-stick test is a simple method to collect a newborn baby’s blood by pricking their heel to screen for certain diseases. It is usually performed as soon as possible after the baby’s birth. During this test, a small amount of blood is collected with a capillary or on a filter paper. It is also called a newborn blood spot test.
Treatment & Diagnosis
Medications & Supplements
Prevention & Wellness
- New Law Banning Sleep Products Tied to Infant Deaths
- Could Cochlear Implants Cause Harm to Hearing Over Time?
- 12 Weeks of Paid Maternity Leave Benefits Everyone: Study
- Health Tip: Basics of Newborn Care
- How Are Your Newborn's Ears Working? Early Hearing Test Is a Must
- Health Tip: Managing Hearing Loss in Children
- Navigating New Parent Nerves
- Signs Your Child Might Have Hearing Loss
- Health Tip: Recognizing Hearing Loss in Infants
- Virus Present at Birth Causes More Than 10 Percent of Hearing-Loss Cases in Kids
- Hearing Their Own Babble Helps Babies Learn to Speak: Study
- C-Section Babies May Be More Likely to Fail First Hearing Test
- Is It Bad to Stimulate a Baby to Poop?
- How Do You Stop Diarrhea in Babies?
- What Temperature Is OK for a Newborn Outside?
- How Long Do Babies Need to Eat? Every 3 Hours?
- Do I Need to Burp My Baby After Breastfeeding?
- How Long Should a Newborn Stay Home After Birth?
- Will My Baby's Flat Head Correct by Itself?
- Infants: Child Development
From 
Parenting and Newborn Resources
Featured Centers
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Subscribe to MedicineNet's Pregnancy & Newborns Newsletter
By clicking "Submit," I agree to the MedicineNet Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. I also agree to receive emails from MedicineNet and I understand that I may opt out of MedicineNet subscriptions at any time.