Which of the following is often the first step in diagnosing hearing loss in newborns?

Auditory screening is typically the first step in diagnosing hearing loss in newborns because it is designed to identify any potential hearing impairments shortly after birth. This step is crucial because early detection of hearing loss can significantly impact a child's speech and language development, as well as overall cognitive and social abilities. The screening process usually involves simple tests, such as otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) or auditory brainstem response (ABR), which are non-invasive and can be performed in a short amount of time.

Physical examination, parental feedback, and developmental assessment are all important aspects of comprehensive audiological evaluation and care, but they do not serve as the initial screening mechanism to detect hearing loss. Physical examination focuses on the overall health of the infant and does not specifically target auditory issues. Parental feedback is valuable but relies on observational insights that may not adequately identify more subtle cases of hearing loss. Developmental assessment looks at how the child is progressing in terms of developmental milestones; however, without the preceding step of auditory screening, a developmental assessment might miss underlying hearing issues that could affect those milestones.