1, baby “hearing screening failed” do not need to panic
In normal newborns, the incidence of bilateral congenital deafness is about 1‰ to 3‰. Because of the sensitivity of the hearing screening instrument, there are many factors that affect the screening result, such as the change of the surrounding noise when screening, the baby’s quietness (such as body movement), the baby’s external ear canal (such as residual amniotic fluid) or middle ear secretions, nasal blockage and poor breathing, etc. can lead to failing the hearing screening. Domestic and international data show that the percentage of failed initial screening (from the third day of life to discharge) is around 10%, which means that the probability of being diagnosed with a hearing problem after the initial screening is only 1-3%. Most of the babies who fail the hearing screening are not found to have a clear hearing loss after the diagnostic hearing test, which is mostly due to the absorption or discharge of existing secretions from the external ear canal or middle ear.
2.After 42 days, you must go for “hearing re-screening”
(1) Pass the re-screening
If your child passes the hearing screening at 42 days, congratulations, your child’s hearing is generally considered normal. No further tests are needed for the time being. However, as your child grows up, you should keep an eye on how your child responds to sound or if he or she is about the same age as the children around him or her, and if there is a large difference, you should go to the hospital to rule out any hearing problems.
(2) Failure to repeat the screening
If your child does not pass the hearing screening at 42 days, don’t be too alarmed because the chance of being diagnosed with a hearing problem is only about 1 in 10 if your child does not pass the screening.
3. Remember to have a diagnostic hearing test before 3 months of age
Always remember to take your baby to a reliable pediatric hearing diagnostic center within 3 months of age for diagnostic audiology and medical examinations. Even a “failed hearing screening” in one ear is no exception. If a hearing problem is diagnosed in one ear, it is more important to pay attention to the child’s hearing because the rate of delayed hearing problems in such children is greatly increased.
4. What tests should be done
(1) Acoustic conductance of high frequency sound detection (1000 Hz)
(2) Otoacoustic emission
(3) Auditory brainstem response
The above three are the basic tests that must be done, if they are within the normal range, it can be considered to pass the test. If not, it depends on the specific results and, if necessary, some additional tests to understand the degree (mild, moderate, severe, very severe), nature (conductive, sensorineural, mixed) and location (outer ear, middle ear, inner ear and auditory nerve) of your baby’s hearing loss, and sometimes some medical evaluation other than hearing;
In this case, it is best to find a doctor who is well versed in pediatric audiology to interpret and comprehensively evaluate the results of the examination.
Finally, it is important to emphasize that it is not the discovery of a hearing problem that is scary, but the lack of action. Even if your child has a hearing problem, if you intervene early (within 6 months of age), the scientific methods available today can basically allow your child to speak normally. In the past, it was often said that “nine out of ten deaf people are dumb”, but now we are working together to achieve “nine out of ten deaf people are not dumb”.
5.If your child has a hearing problem, please pay attention to the following questions, which may be necessary for you to understand
(1) What is considered normal hearing or diagnosed by hearing?
(2) How is hearing loss determined?
(3) When do I need a hearing aid and when do I need it?
(4) How do I know if I have the right hearing aid?
(5) What is the relationship between cochlear implants and hearing aids, and how do I choose?
(6)Other