When Should I Get My Child’s Hearing Checked?
Getting your child’s hearing checked is one of the most important ways to identify hearing loss and to prevent hearing loss as well. It is a relatively easy procedure, is noninvasive, and is a vital way to ensure that a child has adequate hearing to reach their milestones.
Newborn Hearing Screening
Before a child comes home from the hospital, or within the first month after birth if they are born at home or in a birthing center without access to infant hearing screening devices, they need to have their hearing screened.
Hearing loss can be detected as early as birth and early detection is key to ensure that the child is getting the support they need. Early intervention services can start shortly after birth and will provide children with important support to ensure development of communication and language if they are deaf or hard or hearing.
1 to 3 of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. have hearing levels outside the typical range. — HealthyChildren.Org
There are two types of infant hearing screenings
There are two main types of infant hearing screenings, both of which are noninvasive. Examiners will not have to poke and prod the infant and the baby can even be asleep when the test is taking place. All parents of a newborn know how important sleep is to a infant. The test takes a short period of time and will not hurt the baby. Trained staff provide the testing in a quiet environment and are very gentle when applying the earphones and probes.
Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) —
This type of screening measures how the hearing nerve and brain respond to a clicking sound. The clicking sound is played through earphones, one in each ear, and the sound is soft. Both ears are checked as sometimes hearing loss can occur only in one ear. There is also an sticker with a sensor put on the baby’s head (electrode) to measure the brain and hearing nerve’s response to the clicking.
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) —
This type of screening measures the inner ear’s response to soft sounds like clicks and tones. The sounds are played through small probes that look like earbuds put in the baby’s ear canal. They will check both the right and the left ear to ensure that hearing is the same. It is noninvasive and measures the inner ear’s hair cell function.
If the baby does not pass the screening, it does not mean that there is a confirmed hearing loss. Both AABR and OAE are just screenings. Lots of things can impact the results of the test such as background noise or fluid in the baby’s ear from the birth process. If they do not pass the hearing screening, a referral to an audiologist will take place. An audiologist is a hearing specialist.
About 1 or 2 in every 100 babies will not pass the initial hearing screening at birth and will need tests with an audiologist who has experience working with babies. This testing should include a more thorough hearing and medical evaluation. — HealthyChildren.Org
Monitor Your Child’s Hearing, Even If They Pass The Infant Screening
If a child passes their newborn hearing screening, do they still need to be monitored for hearing loss? The answer to this question, as I am sure you can predict, is YES. Hearing loss can occur for a variety of reasons such as ear infections, viruses, head injuries and exposure to loud sounds.
Hearing loss may not be sudden, it can be gradual and occur slowly over time. This is why it is important to monitor your child to ensure they are meeting their hearing milestones. Check out this blog to learn more about what to look for.
If at any point you wonder if you child is hearing you or if they are hearing adequately call your pediatrician. Even if it is due to an ear infection it is important that your pediatrician is aware. Frequent ear infections that cause muffled hearing can impact a child’s ability to hear high frequency speech sounds such as “sh” and “s” and can impact speech milestones. Your pediatrician can provide support if this is happening.
Well-Child Screenings
Even if there are no concerns identified for hearing loss and your child is meeting all of their hearing milestones, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends additional hearing screenings. The screenings occur at 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 years. The routine screenings help to identify the gradual hearing loss that can occur that is harder to notice.
Children ages 4 years and older will be participate in a more formal hearing assessment. The assessment takes place in a quiet room. The child will wear headphones and raise their hand when they hear a sound. The trained person will test both high and low frequency sounds to ensure they are hearing all sounds required to learn speech and to participate in educational activities.
If a child does not pass this screening it could be due to background noise, difficulty understanding the instructions, temperament, or another medical or developmental diagnosis. It may also indicate that the child has a hearing loss. When a child does not pass this screening, they may be referred to an audiologist for further testing and monitoring.
Summary
Hearing is important for both children and adults as it is the way that many of us learn to communicate. Children who have a hearing loss or are deaf will require additional or different supports to make sure that they are able to learn communication and language skills. Regular hearing screenings and monitoring of hearing milestones are important to ensure that a gradual hearing loss or hearing loss due to illness has not occurred. If at any point you are concerned with your child’s hearing, contact the pediatrician right away for support.
TLC Speech Therapy is a speech pathology private practice, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in feeding, swallowing, and communication skills in infants, children, teens, and adults.
For more information check out our website at tlcspeechtherapy.com or contact us at hello@tlcspeechtherapy.com
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