Starts Hear Campaign Continues To Be Effective in Raising Awareness of The Importance of Newborn Hearing Screening

Hearing First shares the continued efforts of the national awareness campaign to educate expectant moms on the importance of newborn hearing and next steps after failed screening

PHILADELPHIA, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearing First, an organization dedicated to supporting families and professionals so that children who are deaf or hard of hearing 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 to inform expectant parents about the importance of the newborn hearing screening (NHS) and to act quickly in the event of a failed screening.

Launched in February 2021, the campaign seeks to reverse the trend of lack of follow-up and delayed care after a failed NHS. By educating and empowering expectant parents about newborn hearing health and early brain development, the campaign equips parents to take immediate action. For the past three years, the Starts Hear Campaign has effectively increased awareness, as more new and expectant parents became aware of the newborn hearing screening (NHS), why hearing is important, and what to do following a failed NHS.

"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, including hearing little lullabies, books read aloud, and even 'I love you' from their parents," said Dr. Teresa Caraway, PhD, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, CEO, Oberkotter Foundation.

Year three campaign results showed increased engagement, exceeding benchmarks from the previous two years. Highlights from the campaign's first three years include:

• 690M total ad views
• 155M video views, totaling 84K hours of watch time
• 4.1M emails sent to remind moms about the NHS and next steps after a failed screening

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 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. Continuing the success from its first three years, the campaign will go even further in its fourth year to reach expectant parents to raise awareness about the importance of newborn hearing to reduce lack of follow-up and delayed care.

To learn more about the Starts Hear campaign and download the Year Three 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