How Are Babies Screened?
All babies can have their hearing screened when they are born, either in hospital, by their midwife, or in a community setting. The screen is a quick and reliable process and completely safe and comfortable for the baby.
All birthing hospitals and midwives in the Regions of Brant, Haldimand-Norfolk, Hamilton and Niagara provide the newborn hearing screens. Additional follow-up screens are available at local community clinics in: Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville, Fort Erie, Grimsby, Hamilton, Langton, Niagara Falls, Simcoe, Stoney Creek, St. Catharines and Welland.
There are 2 pieces of equipment used to test a baby's hearing:
DPOAE (Distortion Product Oto-acoustic Emissions)
A small probe is placed in a quiet or sleeping baby's ear. The probe emits soft sounds and the ear's response to these sounds is measured and recorded. The entire screen takes a few minutes and results are available right away. A pass indicates the baby's cochlea responded to the sounds. A refer indicates that a response could not be detected and further testing is required.
AABR (Automated Auditory Brainstem Response)
Sounds are generated from a small probe in the baby's ear. Electrodes placed on the baby's forehead and behind the ears monitor the brain's response to the sounds and a computer interprets the response. A pass indicates the baby's auditory system, up to and including the brainstem, has responded to the ear. A refer indicates the baby needs a more comprehensive hearing assessment.
Screening Results
A screening result is either a pass or a refer. A pass means that a baby's hearing is fine at that time, however, a hearing loss may develop at a later age and it is very important to watch for signs of hearing loss as a baby grows. Our list of ages and stages is a great tool to monitor and assist in the the development of a child's speech.
A refer result, means that a baby will need a second screen, either in hospital before being sent home or at a later date at a community screening location.
A refer result can happen for many reasons:
- debris in ear canal from delivery
- baby may have been moving too much during the screen
- baby may have a slight cold/stuffiness
- noisy room or environment
High Risk Screens
If your child has been identified as being at risk for developing a hearing loss, he/she will be monitored by a local audiology department at 4 months and 10-12 months of age. A final speech development assessment will be completed when the child is 18 months of age. The 18-month assessment is completed by a regional Preschool Speech and Language Program.
Any of these factors would place a baby at risk for developing a hearing loss:
- low birth weight (less than 1200 grams or 2lbs 11 oz)
- 5 minute APGAR score <=3
- severe jaundice or blood exchange
- craniofacial anomaly (cleft lip and/or palate, small or malformed pinna, absent or very small ear canal opening)
- family history of permanent childhood hearing impairment - sibling, parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent had permanent deafness before the age of 18 years
- other disorders diagnosed by a physican.