Newborn Hearing Screening...

[petdoc08]

Hey ladies, I just got a letter in the mail saying that my DD did not pass her newborn hearing screening. This has me very very nervous. My ped's office is closed for lunch so I have to wait to call them but I thought you ladies may be able to help.

Has anyone else's child failed the screening? How accurate is this test? If she does have hearing loss, what would be our next step? TIA

-Rebecca

[BTB]

Congrats on your DD!

The next step is to redo the screen, and if the results are still unsatisfactory, to have a further evaluation to determine the type and severity of loss. It's hard, but try not to worry until more info's available. :)

[petdoc08]

Thanks for the very quick response BTB. I "know" I shouldn't worry until I get more info, but the new mom hormones are overpowering all common sense right now :p

I feel horrible cause she is sleeping soundly right now and I keep snapping my fingers clapping my hands etc. to see if she startles. Poor thing is going to get very crabby very quickly.

[Jessiesmama]

Our best friends just has a baby giel about 6 weeks ago. The baby failed her hearing test 3 times in the hospital. She had to go back at 5 weeks old for a re-test. Failed again. They brought her back in one more time (a week later) for one more retest before moving on to additional testing and she passed. He had debris in her ears. The Drs could see it and some stuff came out of her ears over the course of the month but she kept failing. The thrid time was a charm. She passed and the Drs were happy with the results. No further testing needed.

Try not to freak. Call your ped. or the hospital and find out when you can go for a retest.

And congratulations on the birth of your DD!

[BTB]

Newborns don't always respond to loud noises, and that's ok! The newest version of the screen actually measures electrical activity in cranial nerve VIII (the hearing nerve), detecting whether it activates in response to sound in a way similar to that in which EEGs detect brain activity. It's the most reliable way right now to check hearing in newborns - don't worry if you hoot and holler, clap and stomp, and still she sleeps, that doesn't necessarily mean anything. :)

[jay&erinn]

I'm an audiologist and before screenings became routine I screened high risk infants (usually those that were very sick at birth). After they became routine, I screened many of the inital failures. There are 2 types of screenings:

1- OAE (otoacoustic emission testing)- probably the most common since it's the cheapest. Basically a probe is placed in the ear canal that produces a sound. A normal, healthy ear will respond back with a sound of it's own (almost like an echo). These echos are very soft, so if a baby is awake and fussy, they will fail. Also, if there is any debris in the ear canal (wax, verna from birth) or fluid in the middle ear (behind the ear drum) the child will also fail. Most children pass just fine at their follow up screen.

2- ABR (Auditory Brainstem Response- also called a BEAR- Brainstem Evoked Auditory Response)- Many hospitals use this if they do a 2 tiered screening (if the child fails OAE, they have an ABR), but that is rare. They usually screen with OAE and refer for further testing if the child fails. Depending on where the child is re-screened, an ABR would be the next step. Electrodes are placed on the baby's head and an earphone in their ear. The sound is tracked through the brain with the electrodes. The test doesn't hurt at all and most babies sleep right through it.

Don't panic. Most likely your DD's hearing is just fine. Most babies don't consistently startle to loud sounds until closer to 3-4 months- that's why they seem to be able to sleep through anything except for the sound of your head hitting the pillow;) . It is still important to follow up with testing sooner than later. As babies get older, it's harder to test them without sedation (after about 3-4 months). When they're still tiny, they usually sleep right through it.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. You can also PM me if you want.

[BTB]

An audiologist, who earned an entire master's degree on all things related to hearing, is by far more expert than I in this area. :) Just wanted to say, though, that at the hospital where my DD was born, the nerve response test was the first screening test used - I got the impression this was true statewide (IL), but could be wrong on that. A phone call to the DPH could determine one way or the other, which might help ease your worries.

[mamax2]

Not a Dr. or an Audiologist, but a Mom who's baby failed the test... I was also freaking out and we had to wait a whole month for our re-test (due to insurance crap :rolleyes: :mad: ) Anyway, my DD also passed her re-screen just fine. I won't tell you not to worry because that's just what moms do, but just know that failing the initial test is fairly common, lots of us have been through it. I hope everything turns out just fine for your DD!

[jay&erinn]

BTB: That definately could be true for your state- I'm sure for some others too. PA's cheap:rolleyes: Even the bigger hospitals outsource their ABRs so they don't have to pay for the equipment to be on site just for use in the nurseries. Pretty rediculous if you ask me. ABRs have a lower failure rate and pick up auditory neuropathy that OAEs can miss, so that would be ideal.

I won't tell you not to worry because that's just what moms do
Even knowing what I do about newborn screenings and how well children with hearing loss adapt when it's treated, the pass/fail sheet was the first thing I looked for in DD's bassinet when she was brought to my room. If she had failed I still would have paniced. I seriously would have been on the phone with my old place of work from my hospital bed setting my own appt for all the follow-up with the audiologist I wanted, not waiting on the peds office to take care of it. So most Moms do worry.

[petdoc08]

Thanks everyone for your responses/advice. I finally got ahold of my ped and they are going to redo the screening on Tuesday. I also called the agency that performs the screenings in the hospital and spoke with the audiologist on staff. She pulled DD's chart and it is her left ear that failed the screening but her right ear is fine. This makes me feel a little bit better, at least she can hear something.

The letter they sent was so vague, it made me think DD would never hear anything. This was the first time (Im sure of many more to come) where I was terrified for her and her future. My hospital never mentioned she failed to me. They did mention that the first night they had problems because she wouldn't sleep long enough for them to get results. The second night they said the test was successful (I took that as she passed, apparently success only means completed) and she came back with goop on her head from the test. I wish someone would have told me, or put something in her basinett so I knew the results right away.

[jay&erinn]

If she had goop on her head she most likely had an ABR.
It's also even rarer to have hearing loss in only one ear- so the odds are in your favor. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[ladybug]

Just wanted to add my support by saying that DS had the same scenario, passed in one ear and not the other. I had a C-section and they said this often results in "goop" still left in the ears. He passed just fine at his rescreen as I am sure your baby will too. It is nervewracking for sure but I hope these responses help ease your fears.

[AndreaMMS]

My daughter failed the initial hospital screening too. They retested her a few weeks later - she is perfectly fine.

[petdoc08]

Just wanted to drop in and thank everyone for their advice and reassurance. DD had her 2 week check up today and passed her hearing screen with flying colors!

[jay&erinn]

Congrats!!!!