AB 488

Under current law, the attending physician or nurse-midwife must ensure that

every infant born undergoes a blood test for congenital disorders and metabolic

disorders. Also under current law, hospitals must make newborn hearing screening

available for all infants delivered at the hospital. The state laboratory of hygiene

performs tests on the blood samples; provides necessary diagnostic services,

treatment, and follow-up counseling; advises the physician of the test results; and

reports positive test results to the Department of Health Services (DHS).

This bill requires the physician, nurse-midwife, or certified professional

midwife who attended the birth to arrange for the infant to be tested before hospital

discharge, or within 30 days of birth if the infant was not born in a hospital, to

determine if the infant has hearing loss. The physician, nurse-midwife, or certified

professional midwife who attended the birth must also advise the parents or legal

guardian of the infant of the hearing test results. This bill also requires the state

laboratory of hygiene to provide additional follow-up services and to report positive

hearing screening results to DHS.