New Born Hearing Screening
Two types of newborn hearing screening tests are used to examine hearing in babies – OAE &ABR. Both of these tests are safe and comfortable.The two tests can be used separately or together. In most hospitals, babies are first screened using OAE.
A miniature earpiece is placed in the ear , sounds are played and a -response is measured. If a baby hears normally , an echo is reflected back into the ear and is measured.
The test takes only a couple of minutes & the results can be given immediately. These tests won’t harm your baby in anyway.
A second test should be repeated after 3 month, if the child fails that too, an advance test- ABR should be done which would determine the degree of hearing loss & help decide further intervention.
Unfortunately, no. some babies may develop hearing loss later in childhood. causes of late onset or progressive hearing loss in children can include syndromes, frequent ear infections, other infections like measles or meningitis, a head injury, & exposure to damaging levels of loud noises. Newborns that need an extended period of neonatal intensive care may also be at an increased risk for hearing loss later.
The choice of intervention depends on the level of hearing loss. Mild to moderate loss can be managed with hearing aids, but profound to severe loss can be managed with cochlear implants.
Hearing aids make sounds louder. Cochlear implants are different; it is a medical electronic device which bypasses the damaged part of the ear and stimulates the hearing nerve directly.Cochlear implants enhance the clarity of sounds and improve your ability to understand speech.
The sooner children with hearing loss receive cochlear implants, the better it is. Children who receive cochlear implants before 2 years of age are better able to hear, comprehend sound and music, and speak than are their counterparts who receive the implants at a later age.
Yes, people who develop age related sensory neural hearing loss and who do not benefit from hearing aids can opt for cochlear implants to improve their quality of life and social well being.