Many scholars recommend calling adhan in the in a newborn's right ear and iqamah in its left ear. This is based on three reports recorded in the books of Hadith. However, all of them are weak, and the second and third of them are fabricated


1. Abu Rafi' reported: "I saw Allah's Messenger(peace be upon him) call the adhan in the ear of al-Hasan Bin Ali when his mother Fatimah give birth to him."
Recorded by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmithi, and others. Verified to be weak by al-Albani (ad-Daifah vol. 1, p 493). Note that al-Albani (raheemullah) at first considered this hadith authentic (in Irwa ul-Ghalil, as-Sahih Abi Dawud, and Sahih ut-Tirmithi) but later found, based on further evidence, that it is not.


2. Al-Hasan bin Ali reported that Allah's Messenger(peace be upon him) said: "Whoever gets a new baby and calls adhan in its right ear and iqamah in its left ear, it will never be harmed by Umm us-Sibyan."
Recorded by Abu Ya'la, Ibn us-Sunni, and others. Verified to be fabricated by al-Albani (ad-Daifah no. 321 and Irwa ul Ghalil no. 1174).

2. Ibn Abbass reported: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) called adhan in the ear of al-Hasan Bin Ali on the day that he was born, and he called the iqamah in his left ear."
Recorded by al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab ul Iman. Verified to be fabricated by al-Albani (ad-Daifah vol 1, pp 493-494).

Therefore, there is no reliable evidence for calling athan or iqamah for a newborn. Both acts should thus be avoided as being bid'ahs.