Infant Hearing Screening, Iowa Code § 135.131

Universal newborn and infant hearing screening. 
 
Requires birthing hospitals to conduct newborn hearing screening before discharge and to report the screening results to the Department of Public Health, the newborn’s parents or guardians, and the newborn’s primary care provider. Requires birth centers, prior to discharge, to refer newborns to an appropriate provider or facility for hearing screening; such screening must occur within 30 days of birth. Requires the primary care provider of an infant born outside of a birthing hospital or birth center to make sure the infant undergoes hearing screening within 3 months of their birth. Specifies the information that providers must report (e.g., newborn’s name, screening results, etc.). Permits parents to object to the screening in which case a provider must document the rejection in the newborn’s medical record and report the refusal to the Department.