Dear Parents,
My baby girl never heard me tell her I loved her the first two years of her life. It wasn't that I didn't love her, or that I didn't tell her every day, but rather that she had a hearing loss that went undetected for those two years, and was unable to hear any speech. There was no newborn hearing screening process in the hospital where she was born.
You may now be home from the hospital with your new baby, up to your EARS in diapers and midnight feedings, and enjoying the new life that has joined your family. If your baby was screened for hearing loss and you were referred for a second screening/ or diagnostics, now that you are home, your inclination may be to just let it go, and wait. Please don't. Go back for the second screening, and if advised, on to an audiologist. To have to face even the possibility of something wrong is a very difficult thing to do. But if there is something wrong with your baby's hearing, NOW is the time to find out.
Early intervention for children with hearing loss can help to build a successful future, and ensure that their full potential will be reached. A rich and full life awaits these children, especially when given full access to language right from birth.
Please don't delay! I know you love your new baby! Make sure the message is getting across.
Sincerely yours,
Janet DesGeorges
