Newborn screening program — Helping Babies Hear — receives HHS funding

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — American Samoa is set to receive $102,742 in federal funding for newborn hearing screening and intervention. “Helping Babies Hear” is the territory’s newborn hearing screening program, which aims to identify infants who may have hearing loss.

This notice Monday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a discretionary, competitive grant for the American Samoa Department of Health for one year’s funding of a continuing 10-year project under Helping Babies Hear Program Coordinator Bethany Malae-Toelupe.

“Thank you so much to Bethany Malae-Toelupe for the work and leadership on this grant project to help our newborns and preserve their hearing!” said Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata. “Thank you to all our health professionals engaged in efforts like these for our people, along with HHS for this support. Congratulations to Governor Lemanu Mauga, Lt. Governor La’apui Talauega Ale, and Director Motusa Nua as they direct government services.”

Newborn hearing screening is performed soon after birth, before baby goes home from the hospital. Newborn hearing screenings are extremely important. Good hearing helps a baby learn to talk. If newborns have hearing loss and are diagnosed early, effective intervention is available to help them achieve typical or near typical speech, language, and hearing milestones. Services to minimize delays in development should begin before baby is six months old.

Newborn hearing screening identifies babies who may have hearing loss is any condition that affects how baby perceives sound. Ask if your baby has been screened before leaving the hospital.  Newborn hearing screening is performed soon after birth before your baby goes home.

 If newborns have hearing loss and are diagnosed early, there are still options to help them develop properly. Services to minimize delays in development should begin before your baby is six months old.