Hearing tests for babies at birth
From 2011 all babies will have their first hearing test within 48 hours of being born, thanks to a Federal Government initiative. The tests are simple, painless and take only a few minutes – yet are so important.
Hearing is such a vital sense for babies and children as they start to learn about the world around them. It’s not only about hearing things, but also about learning to speak, understanding language and communicating with the world.
In many countries now newborn hearing tests have become standard with studies finding that early screening has been linked with improved developmental outcomes for hearing impaired children.
About one in 500 babies in Australia are born with a hearing loss. While that number may not seem high, for littlies with hearing impairment this early detection will have a huge impact on their future speech and language development, enabling immediate intervention.
How are newborns tested?
Obviously your newborn is not able to signify when she hears a noise, so special machines are used in hospitals to see if your baby’s hearing is okay. One of two methods is used:
Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAE)
A small ear probe containing a microphone (about the size of a cotton bud) is placed in your baby’s ears. The machine makes a clicking sound and the microphone listens to the response from your baby’s ear.
Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR)
Three separate leads are placed on your baby’s forehead, back of neck and behind the shoulder. A small earphone ‘cup’ is placed over your baby's ears. This makes a sound and the leads measure the response from your baby's ears to that sound.
It’s important for parents to remember that it’s not unusual for babies with no hearing problems to fail that first test due to fluid entering the ear canal during the birth process, or your baby having some temporary middle ear fluid.
Babies for whom there is the slightest concern are recommended to have a repeat test.
Hearing tests during childhood
Children can suffer temporary or permanent hearing loss at any time throughout childhood so medical experts recommend that if parents have any concerns at all, they have their child tested.
There are also some conditions in which your child’s hearing can degenerate over time.
And then there are kids who might be at higher risk of developing hearing problems. Children with the risk factors below should be tested by an audiologist every six months in those first few years.
- deafness in the family
- prematurity (born too early) or weight less than 1500g at birth
- baby very ill at or around the time of birth
- after suffering meningitis or encephalitis (infection of the brain and/or its coverings)
- exposure to viral infections in-utero, such as rubella or cytomegalovirus (CMV)
When kids should have a hearing test
There are some signs that maybe your child could have a hearing problem. Seek a test if your child:
- not hearing properly
- has unclear speech
- not speaking at the same level as other children of the same age
- having difficulty learning to read or spell
Temporary hearing loss
Many children can suffer from some temporary hearing loss or impairment due to a variety of reasons. The main one is Glue ear, suffered by so many children who have recurrent ear infections. Glue ear is the term used to describe the presence of thick, glue-like secretions in the middle ear, which can affect hearing.
For this reason children should not be left for long periods with untreated glue ear. The hearing loss which occurs can have an immediate impact on your child's speech development, understanding of language, reading and spelling.
Other reasons for temporary hearing problems in littlies include:
- Build-up of wax within the ear canal
- A foreign object (such as a bead or the tip of a cotton bud) stuck in the ear canal
- Excess mucus within the eustachian tube, caused by a cold
- Otitis media (infection of the middle ear)
If you are worried about your child’s hearing, see your GP who can organise a hearing test.
Related ear and hearing articles:
This articles was written by Fiona Baker for Kidspot, Australia’s best family health resource. Sources include Hearing Australia.
Last revised: Monday, 15 November 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.
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