Newborn Hearing Screenings Made Easier: Why Did We Never Think of This?

In the United States, approximately 97 percent of babies born receive a newborn hearing screening (NBHS) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). There is no definitive data on which method of screening is used more, automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) or otoacoustic emissions (OAE); however, the United States heavily favors AABR (Interacoustics, 2021).

Babies need to be asleep or very still to complete an AABR. Putting cold gel on their heads to prep them for testing is a very effective way to wake them up!

Screeners at Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand have come up with an ingenious way to not put cold gel on their babies – by warming it up first.  There is no portable, battery-powered, commercially available gel warmer for NBHS preparation. The solution was to have the Medical Physics and Bioengineering team create one. It took 2 years to make, but now the Cosyplate Gel Warmer® is used in their hospital consistently with great results. The device is now being used throughout their district, with interest from hospitals from all over the world.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, December). Annual summary data: Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program. Hearing Loss in Children.

Interacoustics. (2021, June 16). Newborn hearing screening: Which method is best? (2/5) [Video]. YouTube.

Dron, A. (2026). New invention sees newborn babies stay asleep during hearing checks. The Press.