4.3.18 Specific Conditions – Newborn Hearing Screening

  • Universally offered but not required
  • Offered to select populations or by request
  • See note below the map
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon
AB BC MB NB NL NT NS NU ON PE QC SK YT

Note:
Nunavut regions:
Kitimeot region: Not offered
Kivilliq region: Offered to select populations or by request
Baffin region: Offered to select populations or by request

In Canada, about one to three newborns for every 1,000 born will have a permanent hearing loss. Each year, between 380 and 1,200 newborn babies are newly diagnosed with severe hearing loss. In about 50% of these cases, genetics is to blame. If hearing loss is diagnosed in newborns, they have the opportunity of early treatment. This results in better outcomes for children when compared to those who are diagnosed at a later age.1

The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends universal hearing screening for all newborn babies in Canada. Newborn screening varies across the country. Currently five provinces offer universal newborn hearing screening; the others offer screening to targeted at-risk populations.

1 Patel H, Feldman M. Universal newborn hearing screening. Canadian Paediatric Society position statement. Canadian Paediatric Society, Community Paediatrics Committee. Paediatr Child Health. 2011;16(5):301–5