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37.57.407    NEWBORN HEARING SCREENING PROTOCOLS - HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

(1) Each licensed hospital or health care facility that provides obstetric services shall establish a newborn hearing screening program in order to ensure that a hearing screening is provided for each newborn born in the hospital or health care facility or transferred to the hospital or health care facility from the newborn's place of birth, unless the newborn was previously provided a hearing test by a hospital or health care facility from which the newborn was transferred.

(a) An initial hearing screening must be performed prior to the infant's discharge from the hospital or health care facility.

(b) If the results of the initial hearing screening were inconclusive or indicated a possible hearing loss, a second screening must be performed prior to the newborn's discharge from the hospital or health care facility, if possible. If a second hearing screening cannot be performed prior to the infant's discharge from the hospital, the hospital or health care facility must, prior to the discharge, work with the newborn's parents to schedule a second hearing screening for the newborn. The second screening shall be scheduled at the hospital or health care facility from which the newborn is being discharged. It shall be scheduled to occur within 30 days of the newborn's birth.

(2) Each hospital or health care facility shall use equipment designed to perform hearing screenings that utilizes either otoacoustic emissions (OAE) or auditory brainstem response (ABR) technology. Hearing screening equipment shall be maintained, calibrated, and used in strict conformance with manufacturers' guidelines.

(3) Newborn hearing screening shall be performed by staff members who are properly trained to conduct and interpret the tests and shall be performed in strict conformity with the testing protocols set by the equipment manufacturer.

History: 53-19-402, MCA; IMP, 53-19-402, 53-19-404, MCA; NEW, 2008 MAR p. 171, Eff. 2/1/08.

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