Don't Ignore Newborn Hearing Tests

Purpose and Methods of Infant Hearing Test

Babies who are born into the world will learn things around them through their ears. The slightest disturbance in the sense of hearing if not treated immediately can affect the baby's communication and language skills.

Hearing tests are generally done after the birth process. This aims to determine the function of the baby's sense of hearing to function normally or experience interference. If hearing loss is found in the baby, the doctor can immediately take treatment.

Newborn hearing tests are done in two ways, which take only five to ten minutes. This hearing test is not painful, in fact some of your baby will fall asleep during the test.

Tes Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR). The nurse places a sensor on the baby's scalp. This sensor is connected to a computer network that measures the baby's brainwave activity, in response to clicks sent via the earphone kecil.
Tes Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE). This hearing test measures sound waves in the baby's inner ear. A small device is placed in the baby's ear to produce a soft clicking sound, then the baby's ear response to the sound is recorded.

Newborn Hearing Test Result

It does not take long to obtain the results of a hearing test on a baby. In fact, test results can usually be obtained immediately after the test is completed. If the results of the hearing test state that both ears of the baby can respond well, then most likely the baby does not have ear problems.

Jika bayi Anda dinyatakan tidak lulus tes pendengaran, jangan berkecil hati. Bukan berarti bayi Anda divonis memiliki gangguan pendengaran. Bisa jadi gagalnya tes pendengaran pada bayi Anda disebabkan oleh faktor-faktor lain, sehingga dibutuhkan serangkaian tes pendengaran lanjutan untuk memastikan penyebab dan letak gangguan tersebut.

Some of the causes of hearing test failure in infants include:

Fluid in the middle ear, or wax blocking the ear canal
The test room is too noisy
The baby moves too much or cries.

If necessary, a follow-up examination with an ENT doctor may be recommended. Generally the test will be done 4 weeks later. The test will not hurt the baby and will take about 1-2 hours. At first glance this hearing test will be similar to the previous test, but can provide more detailed results.

However, these types of newborn hearing tests do not always detect permanent hearing loss. Hearing loss may also appear later in childhood. Therefore, consult a doctor or medical professional to get information about the development of your child's abilities and the best treatment for possible disorders.