How Are Baby’s Hearing Screened?
Hearing screening is quick and simple. The technology used is completely safe and reliable. Your baby will probably sleep through the whole experience.
The tests used are reliable, quick and give results right away. They measure the ears or brain’s response to soft sounds played in your baby’s ear and may use small stickers placed on your baby’s head.
There are 2 pieces of equipment used to test a baby’s hearing:
DPOAE (Distortion Product Oto-acoustic Emissions)
A small probe is placed in a quiet or sleeping baby’s ear. The probe produces soft sounds and each ear’s response to these sounds is measured and recorded. The entire screen takes a few minutes and results are available right away.
AABR (Automated Auditory Brainstem Response)
A small probe is placed in a quiet or sleeping baby’s ear. The probe produces soft sounds in the baby’s ear. Electrodes are placed on the baby’s forehead and behind the ears to monitor the brain’s response to the sounds. A computer automatically interprets the response. Results of the screen are available right away.
Funded by the Government of Ontario.
