Newborn Screening & Genetic Services

The New Jersey universal newborn hearing screening law was implemented in New Jersey in 2002 to ensure that all babies are screened at birth to identify potential hearing loss.  The EHDI Administrative Rules  provide additional detail on how the law is implemented.   Our 1-3-6 goals for New Jersey:

• Hearing screening for all babies by 1 month of age
• Diagnostic audiologic evaluation no later than 3 months of age for infants that did not pass their hearing screen
• Early intervention by no later than 6 months of age if baby is identified with hearing loss

1 to 3 out of every 1,000 infants are born with hearing loss. About 90% of those affected children are born to hearing parents.

The role of the PCP is to work cooperatively with the audiologist and the family to direct and coordinate the evaluation and referral processes within the child's medical home as needed.

For ALL children, PCPs need to:

1. Know the infant hearing screening results by the first office visit (read more).
2. Understand hearing follow-up responsibilities for infants that do not pass the hospital screening including referral to audiology (read more).
3. Provide a concise and consistent message to parents of infants that did not pass the hospital hearing screen that conveys the importance of hearing follow-up, and ideally provides the location of the follow-up appointment, the telephone number of the audiology facilities and the date and time if possible
4. Report any re-screening exams done in the PCP office (read more).
5. Have a role in reducing the number of infants that are lost to follow up (read more).
6. Provide on-going monitoring and surveillance of children, both those with or without a risk indicator for late onset hearing loss (read more).
7. Be attentive to any parent concerns about their child’s hearing

For children diagnosed with hearing loss, PCPs need to:

1. Refer infants identified with hearing loss to appropriate agencies capable of providing intervention services and to appropriate specialists (i.e., otolaryngologist, ophthalmology, genetics) as may be indicated by the diagnostic audiologic evaluation as well as discussion about culturally competent communication options.
2. Facilitate the receipt of amplification if needed with referral to hearing aid dispenser
3. Refer families to New Jersey Early Intervention Services for children up to age 3 (read more).
4. Refer families to parent support groups (read more).
5. Provide recommended follow-up when auditory canal atresia is diagnosed (read more).