Hearing Health Screenings of Newborns Might be Innacurate

In previous articles we have discussed the importance of early diagnosis of hearing loss in newborn children. A study conducted by Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago showed htat one third of children who received a hearing loss screening showed normal results yet later needed a cochlear implant.

The study, which was published in the Archives of Otolaryngology, explained the reasons for this might be because children may suffer from a delayed onset of hearing health problems occurring in the inner ear or the central processing centers of the brain. The loss of hearing that occurs from this condition cannot be detected immediately after birth.

The study was conducted by the Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago; according to the researchers "when universal newborn hearing screening programs were initially conceived, it was presumed that most hearing-impaired children, especially those without risk factors for progressive hearing loss, would fail the objective screening performed during the newborn period." They went on to explain that “since that time, it has been recognized that many causes of childhood hearing loss are associated with progressive loss."

The study discussed how children who showed hearing loss during their screenings received a cochlear implantation almost a year earlier than those who passed the initial screening. If you believe your child might suffer from hearing damage, visit your local Miami Hearing Center, where an audiologist will be able to conduct a hearing test and give a proper diagnosis.