In July 2007, the governement began rolling out a national newborn hearing screening and early intervention programme for New Zealand babies. The screening programme should be available in all areas of New Zealand by mid 2010.
See also Newborn Hearing Screening
Newborn hearing tests are important for families, because much can be done if hearing loss is diagnosed early in a baby′s life.
If a hearing loss is detected and confirmed, the crucial next step is intervention.
Intervention may include
Currently there are two tests that hospitals and agencies use to screen babies for hearing loss.
Both of these tests are safe and comfortable. They pose no risks for babies and are accurate and reliable.
This test is called otoacoustic emissions or OAEs. For this test, a miniature earphone and microphone are placed in the ear, sounds are played and a response is measured. If a baby hears normally, an echo is reflected back into the ear canal and this is picked up by the microphone. When a baby has a hearing loss, no echo can be measured on the OAE test.
The second test is called auditory brainstem response or ABR. For this test, sounds are played to the baby′s ears. Band-aid like sensors that are placed on the baby′s head detect brainwaves. This test actually measures the brain responding to sounds. This test also identifies babies who have a hearing loss.
The two test methods may be used individually or in combination. In some hospitals, babies are first screened using OAEs, and the babies who do not pass this test are given the ABR test.
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