When to have a hearing assessment for babies?
Hearing evaluation is critical for all newborns, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), ideally within the first 4 to 5 weeks of life, but it can be performed up to 3 months of age. Parents should be vigilant for signs indicating normal hearing development; any delay should prompt an immediate hearing assessment. During the first year of life, infants typically startle in response to sudden loud noises, begin to recognize and respond to a parent’s voice by around 3 months, demonstrate the ability to turn their eyes or head towards a sound source by 6 months, and may start imitating sounds and saying a few words such as “Mama” or “bye-bye” by 12 months.