The PennZone

PHILADELPHIA, May 9, 2024 ~ Hearing First, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families and professionals in the deaf and hard of hearing community, has recently shared the latest report from their Starts Hear awareness campaign. The campaign, which was launched in February 2021, aims to educate expectant parents about the importance of newborn hearing screening (NHS) and the need for prompt follow-up in case of a failed screening.

The Starts Hear campaign was created to address the concerning trend of lack of follow-up and delayed care after a failed NHS. By empowering parents with knowledge about newborn hearing health and early brain development, the campaign hopes to equip them to take immediate action. Over the past three years, Starts Hear has successfully increased awareness among new and expectant parents about NHS, its significance, and what steps to take if their child fails the screening.

Dr. Teresa Caraway, CEO of Oberkotter Foundation and a certified speech-language pathologist specializing in auditory-verbal therapy, emphasized the importance of early intervention for children's brain development. "We want every mom-to-be to know the importance of hearing for their baby's brain development and act urgently so their little one can benefit from all the sounds of speech," she said.

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The results from the third year of the campaign have shown increased engagement, surpassing benchmarks set by previous years. Some highlights include 690 million total ad views, 155 million video views with a total watch time of 84 thousand hours, and 4.1 million emails sent to remind mothers about NHS and what steps to take after a failed screening.

With advancements in science and research, there is hope for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Early diagnosis, amplification, and intervention can lead to positive Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) outcomes for these children. By raising awareness among expectant parents before their baby arrives, Starts Hear is making strides in changing how families approach hearing loss in the early stages.

As the campaign moves into its fourth year, it aims to continue its success and reach even more expectant parents to raise awareness about the importance of newborn hearing and reduce the trend of lack of follow-up and delayed care. To learn more about Starts Hear and access the Year Three Report, visit their website at hearingfirst.org/starts-hear-awareness-campaign.

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