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Auditory screening of infants
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine.
Insights
Infant hearing screening is now common, using high-risk registers and methods like auditory brainstem-evoked response. Evoked otoacoustic emissions show promise for identifying infant hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Neonatal Care
Background:
- Infant hearing screening has evolved significantly over the past two decades in the US.
- The high-risk register method utilizes patient history and neonatal exams to identify infants susceptible to hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the progression and methods of infant hearing screening.
- To highlight the emergence of evoked otoacoustic emissions as a screening tool.
Main Methods:
- Review of common infant hearing screening procedures.
- Discussion of the high-risk register approach.
- Evaluation of evoked otoacoustic emissions for infant screening.
Main Results:
- Auditory brainstem-evoked response and crib-O-gram are established screening methods.
- Evoked otoacoustic emissions are detectable in 90-100% of normal-hearing infants.
Conclusions:
- Evoked otoacoustic emissions are a viable and effective method for infant hearing screening.
- The adoption of screening programs has increased due to technological advancements.
Abstract:
Within the last 20 years, infant hearing screening has progressed from a laudable goal to a state-mandated reality in many areas of the United States. The high risk register provides a means by which history and neonatal physical examination can be used to identify the infant at risk for hearing loss. Two procedures (crib-O-gram and auditory brainstem-evoked response) have been the most common methods of screening for hearing loss in the newborn or in intensive care nurseries. Evoked cochlear emissions reportedly are identifiable in 90 to 100% of normal-hearing infants. This observation has lead to the use of evoked otoacoustic emissions as a hearing screening procedure with infants.