Empowering Hospitals with Efficient Newborn Hearing Screening Solutions
Feel confident about Newborn Hearing Screening
Your child’s hearing is crucial for their speech and language development. By staying informed and proactive, you can help ensure they reach their full potential. The newborn hearing screening, performed shortly after birth, helps detect any hearing issues early on, allowing for timely intervention and support.
This guide is here to provide you with the information you need to feel safe about newborn hearing screening.
Newborn Hearing Screening - Parent’s Guide
Hearing loss affects 3 in 1,000 newborns. Good hearing is essential for speech and language development, particularly in a child’s first few years. Hearing loss can go undetected until a child shows symptoms of delayed speech. Now, testing is completed at birth to identify hearing loss so appropriate treatment can be initiated to avoid these delays. Testing is non-invasive and can identify even mild hearing loss, which can be temporary due to fluid in the ear canal or permanent.
Hearing screening is a state mandate and part of the required metabolic screening. Chances are that your baby will pass the test. However, if the screening does not result in a pass, a repeat test will be scheduled within 10 days. If the second test does not result in a pass, a diagnostic evaluation will be recommended to identify the area and cause of the hearing loss. If a child is found to have hearing loss, there is a network of professionals who can follow up with appropriate treatment and recommendations to help overcome developmental challenges.
Although the first hearing test will show hearing at the time of testing, it is important to monitor your child’s speech and language abilities as they grow. Milestones for speech and language development will be provided on the back of the results form as a guideline. If you have any concerns, ask your pediatrician or family physician.
There are several factors that can increase the risk of hearing loss in newborns:
- Genetic Factors: Hearing loss can be inherited. If there is a family history of hearing loss, the risk is higher.
- Infections During Pregnancy: Infections such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and syphilis can affect the baby’s hearing.
- Premature Birth: Babies born prematurely are at a higher risk of hearing loss.
- Low Birth Weight: Newborns with a low birth weight are more susceptible to hearing issues.
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Stays: Extended stays in the NICU, especially if the baby requires mechanical ventilation or has severe jaundice, can increase the risk.
Birth Injuries: Injuries during birth that affect the baby’s oxygen supply can lead to hearing loss. - Maternal Health Conditions: Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure (preeclampsia), and drug or alcohol use during pregnancy can contribute to hearing loss.
- Certain Syndromes: Genetic syndromes like Down syndrome, Usher syndrome, and Waardenburg syndrome are associated with hearing loss.
Identifying these risk factors early allows for timely intervention and support, which can significantly improve outcomes for children with hearing loss.
Hearing screening for newborns is a quick and non-invasive process. Here’s how it typically works:
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Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Test: A small probe is placed in the baby’s ear canal. This probe emits sounds and measures the echo that comes back from the ear. If the echo is present, it indicates that the baby’s inner ear (cochlea) is functioning properly.
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Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) Test: Small electrodes are placed on the baby’s head and soft earphones are placed over the ears. The earphones play sounds, and the electrodes measure the brain’s response to these sounds. This test checks the auditory nerve pathways from the ear to the brainstem.
Both tests are painless and can be done while the baby is sleeping. If the baby does not pass the initial screening, a follow-up test is usually scheduled to confirm the results.
A “Pass” result in a newborn hearing screening means that the baby has exhibited normal hearing function in both ears at the time of the screening. This indicates that the baby’s hearing is within the typical range, and no further immediate testing is required. However, it’s important to continue monitoring the child’s hearing and speech development as they grow, since hearing loss can develop later in infancy or childhood.
A “Refer” result in a newborn hearing screening means that the baby did not exhibit the expected hearing response during the initial test. However, this does not necessarily mean the baby has a permanent hearing loss. There are several reasons why a baby is referred for further screening:
- Fluid in the Ear: Sometimes, fluid in the ear canal from birth can affect the results.
- Ear Infections: An ear infection can temporarily impact hearing.
- Baby’s Activity: If the baby was crying or moving a lot during the test, it might affect the results.
If a baby is referred at the initial screening, a follow-up test is usually scheduled within a few weeks to confirm the results. If the second test confirms the results of the first test a more detailed diagnostic evaluation will be recommended to determine the cause and extent of any hearing loss.