Screening

Screening is the routine testing to look for conditions that, if found early enough, would benefit from treatment.

Hearing

• All babies have a hearing test. A baby must be at least 34 weeks gestation and in a cot before he has his hearing checked. The tests are carried out in the unit on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The test involves placing a small, soft earpiece in each of the baby's ears. A series of clicks is then sent to the baby's ear and the response is read by a computer with the results being available immediately. If your baby fails this hearing test it does not necessarily mean that he has a hearing problem. He may have been unsettled during the test or may have fluid in his ear. In the case of a fail, you will be asked to come back for a further test. If your baby is transferred to another hospital before he goes home, the new hospital will organise the hearing test. If your baby does not have a hearing test before he goes home, you will be given an appointment to bring him back as an outpatient.

Eyesight

• If your baby was born weighing less than 1500 grams (3lbs 3ozs) or was more than 8 weeks premature, he will have a routine test to check on the development of his eyes. The first test is carried out when a baby is about 6 weeks old or around 36 weeks corrected gestational age whichever comes first. The test involves some local anaesthetic and dilating eye drops being put into baby's eyes - this helps the Ophthalmologist (a specialist eye doctor) to see into the back of the eye. The results of the test are available immediately. Occasionally babies need more than one assessment and if a baby needs treatment, this is carried out on the unit. If your baby misses his eye check before he goes home, you will be given an appointment to bring him back to the neonatal unit as an outpatient.

Brain development

• All babies born more than 7 weeks premature will have a head scan at around 7 days after they are born and, again, before they go home.
• Babies born more than 11 weeks premature will have a head scan 1-2 days after birth; around 4 weeks after they are born and, again, at around 4 weeks before their original due date. The purpose of the head scan, which is painless for the baby, is to check for any changes in the brain, such as bleeding. The results of each scan are available immediately and will, usually, be given by a doctor.
• If your baby is transferred to another hospital, they will organise any necessary scans.