Screening of newborns for hearing impairment; notification of parents
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The physician attending any newborn child in a hospital in this state, or the person attending any newborn child in a hospital in this state if the child is not attended by a physician, shall cause the child, if available, to be screened or evaluated to determine if the child has a potential hearing impairment, using methods and procedures prescribed by the State Department of Health. If it is determined by such screening or evaluation that a newborn child in a hospital in this state may have a hearing impairment, the physician or other person attending the child shall (a) refer the child for confirmatory testing, and (b) make reasonable efforts to promptly notify the child's parents or guardian that the child may have a hearing impairment and shall explain to them the potential effect of such impairment on the development of the child's speech and language skills.
For the purposes of this section, the term "hearing impairment" means a dysfunction of the auditory system of any type or degree that is sufficient that it may interfere with the acquisition and development of speech and language skills with or without the use of sound amplification. No health-care provider shall be civilly liable for the failure to conduct such screening or evaluation.