How to Prepare for Your Baby’s Follow Up Hearing Test
The follow up testing to your baby’s newborn hearing screening will be an Auditory Brainstem Response test which will take approximately one hour. This test requires your baby to be asleep or nearly asleep. Here are a few things to know before your follow up testing:
- To ensure your baby is sleepy for testing, we ask that you keep them awake a few hours before or wake them early on the day of testing if it is a morning appointment.
- It is best to bring someone with you to the appointment to help keep the baby awake on the car ride to the audiologist’s office. It is also helpful to bring someone along if you will be bringing other children with you to the appointment, because one parent/guardian will need to be holding the baby while they sleep.
- Please bring whatever you need for feeding your baby. A sleepy baby usually makes the test go much quicker and more smoothly. We will have time at the beginning of your appointment for you to feed your child while we set up the equipment. Some babies can even be tested while feeding. You will hold your infant for the testing and he/she can be swaddled, have a pacifier, or anything that ensures they remain calm and comfortable.