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Using otoacoustic emissions to screen for hearing loss in early childhood care settings
William D Eiserman1, Diana M Hartel, Lenore Shisler
1Utah State University, United States. HearingHeadStart@aol.com
Insights
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) screening is a feasible tool for identifying hearing loss in young children. This study successfully screened thousands of children, identifying those needing further audiological evaluation and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Early identification of hearing loss is crucial for child development.
- Objective screening tools for young children have been limited.
- Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) technology offers a non-invasive screening method.
Purpose of the Study:
- To screen underserved children aged 3 years or younger for hearing loss using OAE technology.
- To document the outcomes of a multi-step screening and diagnostic process.
Main Methods:
- A total of 4,519 children under 3 years old were screened in four states.
- Trained lay screeners used portable OAE equipment sensitive to mild hearing loss (25 dB HL).
- A multi-step protocol guided screening and follow-up evaluations by specialists.
Main Results:
- 6% (257 children) required medical or audiological follow-up.
- 107 children were diagnosed with hearing loss or ear disorders needing treatment/monitoring.
- Seven children had permanent hearing loss, with varied newborn screening histories.
Conclusions:
- Multi-step OAE screening is feasible and accurate for detecting various hearing conditions in young children.
- Further research is needed to address screening barriers in early childhood settings.
- Exploring OAE screening in routine healthcare settings is recommended.
Objective:
Until recently, no objective tool has been available to help health and early childhood education providers screen young children for hearing loss. The aim of this study was to screen underserved children
Methods:
A total of 4,519 children,
Results:
Of the 4,519 children screened as a part of the study, 257 (6%) ultimately required medical or audiological follow-up. One hundred and seven children were identified as having a hearing loss or disorder of the outer, middle or inner ear requiring treatment or monitoring. Of these 107 children, 5 had permanent bilateral and 2 had permanent unilateral hearing loss. The seven children with permanent hearing loss included four who had passed newborn screening, two who were not screened at birth and one who did not receive follow-up services after referring from newborn screening.
Conclusions:
OAE screening, using a multi-step protocol, was found to be a feasible and accurate practice for identifying a wide range of hearing-health conditions warranting monitoring and treatment among children
