Infant Hearing Loss Treatment in Salinas & Monterey
Hearing Solutions Designed for Newborns and Infants
Advances in technology for newborn hearing screening at most birthing hospitals have allowed for many infant hearing problems to be caught early on. The cost of identifying a newborn with hearing loss is less than one-tenth the cost of identifying newborns with PKU, hypothyroidism, or sickle cell anemia, which are screened for in nearly every state.
Currently, two types of electrophysiologic procedures are used to screen newborns singly or in combination:
- Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) are measured by placing sensors on the baby's head. Sound is then introduced to the baby's ears through tiny earphones while the child sleeps. A computer allows brainwave activity to be recorded to indicate whether the ear and auditory brainstem pathway are responding to sound. This test is painless and takes only about 5 minutes.
- Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are faint sounds produced by most normal inner ears. The sounds can be detected by placing very sensitive microphones in the ear canal. During testing, a tiny flexible plug is inserted into the baby's ear and sound is then projected into the ear through the plug. A microphone inside the plug records the otoacoustic emissions that the normal ear produces in response to the incoming sound. Testing is painless, takes about 5 minutes to complete, and can be done while the baby sleeps.
If your infant has been diagnosed with a hearing disorder, call our Monterey audiologist at (831) 216-1281 for treatment options.
Benefits of Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI)
Infants identified with hearing loss can be fit with amplification by as young as 4 weeks of age. With appropriate early intervention, children with hearing loss can be mainstreamed in regular elementary and secondary education classrooms. Recent research has concluded that children born with a hearing loss who are identified and given appropriate intervention before 6 months of age demonstrated significantly better speech and reading comprehension than children identified after 6 months of age.
Even mild hearing loss can significantly interfere with the reception of spoken language and education performance. Research indicates that children with unilateral hearing loss (in one ear) are ten times as likely to be held back at least one grade compared to children with normal hearing. Similar academic achievement lags have been reported for children with even slight hearing loss. Children with mild hearing loss miss 25-50% of speech in the classroom and may be inappropriately labeled as having a behavior problem.
Schedule a Newborn Hearing Test as Soon as Possible
Recent clinical studies indicate that early detection of hearing loss followed with appropriate intervention minimizes the need for extensive habilitation during the school years. Our Monterey and Salinas hearing specialist can help you treat your infant's hearing problem so that they can go to school and beyond with every advantage.
Call (831) 216-1281 for high quality infant audiology services in Monterey and Salinas.
