The Types of Newborn Hearing Test
The birth of child is truly a miracle. That time of life is full of hope, pleasure and joy. It is not just the parents of the newborn that brimming with pride and elation, friends and family of the mother and father are overjoyed too. Each and every individual connected to infant vows to keep them safe and protected from this world. They swear to do their utmost to keep the young one hale and hearty. To all those who have greeted or are going to greet a new baby soon, we offer a single advise. Take a newborn hearing test.
Before we dive into the purposes and benefits of a hearing screening, we get the types out of the way. In general, an infant can have two types of screening – an ABR and An OAE. In ABR, the response of the baby’s nerves to sound is measured. In OAE, the echo of sound through the baby’s ear canal is measured. In the latter test a small microphone and earphone is placed in the ear of the infant. Different sounds are then played. If the infant has perfect hearing, the sound is reflected back and then measured using the microphone.
Also Read: What Comes After A Neonatal Hearing Test?
The Purpose Of Hearing Test For Children
Now that there is awareness of the types of hearing tests for children, let us reason why they are important. A clinic for newborn screening test in Chennai stated that almost 1 to 3 babies in 1000 are affected with some degree of hearing loss. This makes the condition more common than parents would believe. Out of these, most infants are born with an ear infection that can cause hearing loss in the first few years if left undetected. A hearing screening done on a newborn can help diagnose any such disease or issue.
That is the main purpose of the tests. To remove any risk of hearing loss or to identify any present issues that may be causing it. An infant hearing test is the only way to perceive hearing loss in the first few years of any baby’s life.
Benefits Of Neonatal Hearing Test
There are two main benefits of conducting a hearing screening in neonatal. The first – from the moment a child is born, s/he begins to learn. One of the avenues with which they learn is by listening. They listen to the voice of the mother, father and everyone around. If the infant suffers from hearing loss, she might not be able to learn at the average pace. This may lead to issues with speech and language development. The second benefit – it makes the parents of newborn prepared.
If a hearing test determines that a baby has hearing loss, due to any reason, parents can make use of a vast array of resources to treat the issue. Early detection makes the father and the mother empowered. It gives them the opportunity to take informed decisions by consulting specialists, the best paediatricians and technology. Get a hearing test done on your child. Be aware Be prepared.
