Reflecting on Four Years of Success, the Starts Hear National Awareness Campaign Begins Its Fifth Year of Raising Awareness of the Newborn Hearing Screening

Hearing First, an initiative of the Oberkotter Foundation, shares results from Year Four of the campaign dedicated to educating expectant moms about newborn hearing and next steps after failed screening

PHILADELPHIA, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearing First—an initiative of the Oberkotter Foundation dedicated to supporting families and professionals so children with hearing loss have the opportunity to learn to listen, talk, read, and thrive—shared the latest report from the Starts Hear awareness campaign. Starts Hear is a public health awareness campaign informing expectant parents about the importance of the newborn hearing screening (NHS) and what to do in the event of a failed screening.

According to 2022 reporting from the CDC, more than 34% of infants who do not pass the screening either do not receive recommended follow-up care or the information is not reported to the state. Since February 2021, the campaign has been addressing the concerning trend of lack of follow-up and delayed care after a failed NHS by reaching expectant parents directly and empowering them to take immediate action if their baby does not pass the NHS.

"At Hearing First, we know how important it is to communicate to families directly about the importance of their baby's hearing and acting urgently. When the CDC shares just how many infants are not receiving the care they need during the critical brain development window, it only amplifies the need," said Teresa Caraway, PhD, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, CEO, Oberkotter Foundation. "The Starts Hear campaign focuses on educating and empowering expectant parents so they can feel confident in their next steps and follow-up quickly after a failed screening."

With key messages about newborn hearing screening (NHS), why hearing is important, and what to do following a failed NHS, the campaign has been effective in increasing awareness.

In its fourth year, Starts Hear introduced new ways to expand the campaign:

• BabyCenter en Español: The Spanish campaign enabled important messages to reach even more expectant and new moms.
• Point of Care Signage: The campaign met new and expecting parents where they're spending time—in ob-gyn and pediatrician offices—with QR codes to give parents easy access to this critical information.
• Ask an Expert: Through our partners, parents had the opportunity to submit their questions about newborn hearing and receive real-time responses from qualified professionals.

The introduction of new tactics alongside the optimization of ongoing efforts, the fourth year of the campaign showed increased success with more impressions and more completed video views compared to any previous year of the campaign. Meanwhile, cumulative results highlight the success of the campaign in reaching new and soon-to-be moms, such as:

• 904+ Million total ad views
• 300+ Million video views
• 1.7+ Million visitors to StartsHear.org

Based on today's science and research, the future is bright for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) outcomes are not only possible, but probable, with early diagnosis, amplification, and intervention.

By emphasizing the message of early action following a failed screening, the Starts Hear campaign aligns with the guidelines set forth by the Joint Commission on Infant Hearing, or JCIH. Those guidelines outline that a child needs to receive a hearing screening by one month of age; a hearing evaluation and diagnosis of hearing loss by three months of age; and enrollment into early intervention by six months of age to optimize Listening and Spoken Language outcomes.

By bringing awareness to parents before their baby arrives, the Starts Hear campaign is helping move the needle and shifting what the early stages of the hearing loss journey look like for families.

To learn more about the Starts Hear campaign and download the Year Four Report, visit hearingfirst.org/starts-hear-awareness-campaign.

About Hearing First
Hearing First, an initiative of the Oberkotter Foundation, helps caring adults provide infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing with the same listening, spoken language, and literacy opportunities as their hearing peers through Listening and Spoken Language (LSL). Hearing First offers free educational resources and online learning experiences for families of children with hearing loss and professionals who seek to advance their LSL knowledge and understanding. With two free online communities, the Family Support Community and Professional Learning Community, Hearing First also helps members connect with other adults who share their same experience. The Oberkotter Foundation is a private foundation supporting opportunities for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to learn to listen and talk for nearly 40 years.

SOURCE Hearing First