Question
My baby is 45 days old and has failed the initial and follow-up hearing screening. What are the possible reasons, and what should I do?
Answer
Newborn hearing screening is an objective, simple, and rapid method used for further diagnosis and observation. Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and automated auditory brainstem response (ABR) are commonly used technologies that are crucial for newborn hearing screening. These techniques are non-invasive and widely applied in our hospitals.Brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) is typically used for newborns in the intensive care unit (ICU). Normally, the ear canal can emit soft sounds, transmitted through the ossicles, tympanic membrane, and then detected in the external auditory canal. When there is hearing loss in the baby’s ear canal, there will be no otoacoustic emissions. The automated auditory brainstem response can reflect the functional status of the ear canal, middle ear, cochlea, and related nerves.