Risk Factor Screening Process

Key steps

Risk factor screening is an important part of the Infant Hearing Program (IHP). It helps identify babies who may have a higher chance of permanent hearing loss (PHL).

The screening uses the dried blood spot (DBS) sample collected for routine newborn screening and looks for a common virus called Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and certain genetic risk factors linked to hearing loss.

Important Dates

• March 4, 2024 - November 23, 2025
  • Parents/caregivers gave consent to participate in universal newborn hearing screening through the IHP, which included risk factor screening for PHL.
• Starting November 24, 2025
  • Due to a technical issue in sending consent to Newborn Screening Ontario, risk factor screening for PHL is now performed on all eligible newborn screening samples.

Results & Follow-Up

• Testing takes 1-2 weeks to complete.
  • You can ask for a copy of the results to be sent to your baby's doctor.
• If CMV or genetic risk factors are found, Newborn Screening Ontario or your baby’s doctor will contact you to explain the results and next steps for follow-up care.