How are infants tested for hearing?

A baby’s hearing can be screened using Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR), Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE), or both. Babies usually have their hearing screened while still in the hospital, either in the nursery or in their mothers’ room.

What is the youngest age at which an audiologist can test a child’s hearing status?

Because VRA requires that a child have the developmental ability to respond to conditioned procedures, sit, maintain head control, and turn his or her head, VRA is only performed on infants with a developmental age of 6 months or older.

Which hearing test is conducted with the child in a soundproof booth and reacts to sounds?

Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) Children at this level are tested either with earphones or in a sound booth with speakers.

When should a baby’s hearing first be tested?

It’s best to have your baby screened before they are 1 month old. Hearing screening can be done quickly while your baby sleeps or is quiet. Younger babies spend a lot of time sleeping, so it’s easiest to screen hearing in babies who are very young.

How accurate is the hearing test for newborns?

Although the test is relatively accurate, it sometimes fails to detect hearing impairments. This is known as a “false negative” test result. Sometimes newborns with normal hearing get a wrong diagnosis after having an OAE test: Although they can hear well, they are mistakenly diagnosed as being hard of hearing.

Why do newborns fail hearing test?

Babies can fail the newborn hearing screening due to vernix in the ear canal, fluid in the middle ear, or because of movement or crying during the test. However, since a few babies actually do have hearing loss, it is very important that you go to your follow-up appointment for a confirmatory test.

What is SRT testing in audiology?

About Speech Testing Speech testing will look at how well you listen to and repeat words. One test is the speech reception threshold, or SRT. The SRT is for older children and adults who can talk. The results are compared to pure-tone test results to help identify hearing loss.

What is BOA test?

Behavioural Observation Audiometry (BOA): BOA is a test used to observe hearing behaviour to sound when VRA is not possible. This is often used for infants less than 6 months of age or who are developmentally not able to turn their head towards a sound.

Why would a newborn fail a hearing test?

How accurate are baby hearing tests?