Hearing testing

Question 1

What is the hearing test done on all newborns?

Answer 1

Otoacoustic emission testing (as part of the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme). Click is played through earpiece and the echo from it indicates a healthy cochlea.

Question 2

What test is done if newborn/infant OET is abnormal?

Answer 2

Auditory Brainstem Response test - three small sensors are placed on the head and neck, and soft headphones play quiet clicking sounds; the sensors detect how brain and hearing nerves respond to the sound and a computer analyses the results.

Question 3

What hearing test is done at 6-9 months?

Answer 3

Distraction test - health visitor and requires two trained staff

Question 4

What hearing test is done at 18months-2.5 years?

Answer 4

Recognition of familiar objests - use familiar objects e.g. teddy, cup. Ask child simple questions - e.g. ‘where is the teddy?’

Question 5

What hearing test is done >2.5 years?

Answer 5

Performance testing and

Speech discrimination testing - Uses similar sounding objects e.g. Kendall Toy test, McCormick Toy Test

Question 6

What hearing test is done at >3 years?

Answer 6

Pure audiometry testing - done at school entry in most areas of UK

Question 7

How can you screen hearing simply?

Answer 7

As well as a test there is a questionnaire for parents in the Personal Child Health Records - ‘Can your baby hear you?’