Published on November 07, 2011
Infant Hearing Re-screens Now Available at Mary Greeley Medical Center
AMES, IA – Central Iowa parents who need to have a newborn’s hearing re-screened will now have a convenient option in Ames.
The Birthways Unit at Mary Greeley Medical Center will provide infant hearing re-screens on the most up-to-date version of Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) screening equipment.
Iowa requires that all infants born in the state of Iowa be screened for hearing loss and that the results collected be reported to the Iowa Department of Public Health for follow-up purposes. The goal of Iowa's Early Hearing and Detection Intervention Program is for initial hearing screens and necessary re-screenings be completed in the first four weeks of life.
If an infant fails their initial screening, they are to be re-screened on AABR equipment. The newest generation of AABR testing equipment, ALGO 5, will be used to perform hearing re-screens at Birthways. There are 21 AABR machines in Iowa, but only five in the central Iowa region, including Des Moines and Mason City hospitals.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, hearing loss is one of the most frequently occurring birth defects. Approximately three infants per 1,000 are born with moderate, profound or severe hearing loss. If hearing loss is not detected and treated early, it can impede speech, language and cognitive development.
Physician referrals for an infant hearing re-screen can be placed by calling Birthways at 515-239-2444. Once a referral is received by Birthways, the parents of the newborn will be contacted by the specially trained nurse who will perform the hearing re-screen. During the phone conversation questions will be answered, an appointment will be scheduled, and details of the screening process will be shared.
Results will be provided to the parents immediately following the screening process. Following the appointment, the nurse will send a follow up letter to the baby’s primary care physician about the screening results.
If further diagnostic testing is necessary based on the AABR re-screen, available options and information will be provided.
Parents will bring their newborn to Mary Greeley Medical Center’s admission desk. Mary Greeley Medical Center is located at 1111 Duff Avenue in Ames.
