An older child can raise their hand during a screening test for a hearing loss. What about babies? They can't raise their hand and say "Yes, I heard that."

If you have recently adopted a baby domestically, your child was probably screened before they ever left the hospital. If your adoption was international, however, it might be very unlikely that your child's hearing was tested with any level of sophistication. Even if their medical report shows normal hearing, adoption specialists recommend that your child receive a hearing test upon arrival in your home.

How are babies tested for hearing loss? Two tests are commmonly used: Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) and Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR). Both are simple and painless to your child.

Often, the OAE is the first test used on babies. For this test, a tiny microphone and earphone will be placed in your baby's ear. Soft sounds are produced by the equipment, and normally, the child's inner ear will respond to the sounds by producing echoes called Otoacoustic Emissions which are analyzed by the equipment. If the child has a hearing loss, the ear will not produce echoes.

If your child fails an OAE, an ABR is usually the next test performed, although some hospitals and hearing centers perform an ABR first. With the ABR, electrodes similar to what is used for an EKG are placed on the baby's head. These are sticky, band-aid type electrodes and are completely painless. Again, an earphone is placed in the baby's ear and soft clicking sounds are played. This test measures the auditory nerve's response to the sounds.

If your child fails her newborn screening, it does not necessarily mean she has a hearing loss. Both tests are performed when the baby is sleeping, and too much movement or crying will affect the results of the test. If your child is older than 2-3 months, she will probably be given a liquid medication for slight sedation during the test. If your child fails her screening, she will probably be referred to a pediatric audiologist for follow-up.

For further information on testing hearing:

Raise your hand for better hearing
Newborn
Screening
(Has a video where you can watch both the OAE and ABR being performed on babies).

Hearing Screening

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