Moonlight Ballroom Blog

There are two different types of hearing screening tests used today to screen hearing in newborns and infants. A hearing screener helps you test the ability of hearing. The tests are completely safe and comfortable for your child, and they can be used separately or together. In most hospitals, newborns are first screened using otoacoustic emissions or OAE’s. In this test, a tiny microphone and earphone are placed in the baby’s ear and sounds are introduced. Normally when the sound goes off, an echo is reflected back into the ear canal. With newborns who suffer from hearing loss, an echo cannot be measured. If newborns do not pass this test, they are then given an auditory brainstem response, or ABR. In this test, sensors are situated on the child’s head to measure nerve response to sounds that are played. These tests are usually done while the baby is asleep and take under five minutes.