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First Sound Program

First Sound is made possible through the collaborative efforts of South Carolina's hospitals, audiologists, and the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

South Carolina's First Sound Program screens babies for hearing loss before they are discharged from the hospital, and provides referrals to appropriate early intervention and treatment for those babies diagnosed with a hearing loss. Every year in South Carolina an estimated 150 babies are born with a significant hearing loss. Early identification of hearing loss and treatment during the first years of life helps in speech, language, social, cognitive, and emotional development.

There are two types of hearing screen tests that are used to screen babies for hearing loss. Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test the infant's ability to hear soft sound through miniature earphones. Sensors measure your baby's brainwaves to determine if the sounds are heard normally. Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) are measured directly with a miniature microphone and sent to a special computer to determine your baby's hearing status. Both tests are very safe and take only minutes to evaluate each ear. Most babies sleep through the hearing screening tests.