Family Health Watch: Your infant and hearing loss

Per the U.S. National Library of Medicine, there are two common factors that can determine if a greater risk of hearing loss can be predetermined at infancy; that is, family history and low birth weight. In the first three to six months of life, one to two percent of healthy newborns are diagnosed with hearing loss. Though it’s not common, some infants may be born with hearing loss.  The types of hearing loss and symptoms have been published here.  To determine if an infant is experiencing any loss of hearing, there are two types of tests that can be performed.

• Auditory brain stem response (ABR) test. This test uses patches, called electrodes, to see how the auditory nerve reacts to sound.
• Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test. Microphones placed into the baby’s ears detect nearby sounds. The sounds should echo in the ear canal. If there is no echo, it is a sign of hearing loss.

For more information about these tests and to discuss possible treatment solutions, please contact us today for an appointment.

The video below provides more information about this topic.