America’s Preventive Services Task Force recommends, that hearing test for every new born has to be mandatorily carried out. Well, this is not without reasons. The first being that, hearing impairment in children is slowly increasing. And until too late parents remain unaware of the defect.
This may lead to permanent defects which would otherwise be easily treated when tested at an early age.
Here are some reasons you have to consider before deciding not to take these tests:
1. If recognized at an early stage the possibility of better treatment is always higher.
2. Certain therapies administered in the new born stage may make a lot of difference to hearing of your child. And he/she may be able to hear at the right age when it is necessary.
3. Your child would never know about the problem, this may reduce any psychological depressive conditions that may occur to children.
The Hearing Test
- Since newborns do not know how to communicate their problem , this can be hard. Otoacoustic Emission Test is the measurement of The sound that bounces from the inner cochlea of the baby’s ear
- Â Another test includes measuring the signals given by the brain in response to sound, called the Auditory Brainstem Response Test.
- For older children who have started responding to sound, its fairly easy. A simple test of hearing is the head movement in the direction of the sound
According to a study published in Journal of American Medical Association children who had been screened at an early stage for hearing problem developed better motor skill with age and also responded more with speech than using sign language.
Though the results show that hearing tests for newborns is a necessity very less state run hospitals carry out the test due to budgetary problems. Hence the responsibility lies in the parents, who have take enough care to screen their new born as early as possible.
