Why is it important to have an ear exam for a newborn?

This article is professionally consulted by Resident Doctor of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Hearing loss can be one of the birth defects in babies. It is very important for parents to recognize and screen newborn babies because if detected and intervened in time, it will help children restore hearing and language abilities. Otherwise, the child will be born deaf for life.

In normal newborns, the rate of hearing loss is 1/1000 to 1/2000 (ie, 3-4 children born in 1000 have signs of congenital hearing loss). Infants who are at risk of hearing damage such as premature babies with low birth weight, jaundice, meningitis, mumps, measles, mothers with infectious diseases such as rubella... This ratio increases 4-5 times.
Based on appearance alone, it will not be possible to know whether a child is born deaf or not, so it is necessary to have a newborn hearing screening to detect the child's hearing condition early. Depending on the age of the child, the child may have signs of hearing loss as follows:
Hearing loud noises but the child does not have reflexes such as blinking, moving limbs... The child does not recognize or has difficulty perceiving. know the source of the sound. The child has no progress in pronunciation or delays in speech. The child speaks too softly or loudly. Children have difficulty communicating or learning. If there are signs above, it does not necessarily mean that the child has a hearing loss, but parents should still take their child to see an otolaryngologist as soon as possible.

The baby can be born deaf due to one or more of the following factors:
The mother is infected with viral infections during pregnancy (such as Rubella, Herpes, Syphilis, Cytomegalo, Toxoplasmosis ). There is a family history of congenital or progressive hearing loss. Children with severe illness soon after birth. Children with craniofacial abnormalities (head, face, ears). Children with purulent meningitis or encephalitis. The baby was very weak at birth (weighing less than 1500g) and required mechanical ventilation for 10 days or more. Signs of hearing loss syndromes such as Waardenburg or Usher.

Doctors will perform newborn hearing screening using a cochlear acoustic device (OAE). This method is quick, does not take time, does not affect the child's hearing or health, and does not cause pain for the child.
The machine will measure the cochlear reflex when it encounters a sound stimulus.
To examine an infant's ear, the doctor will place a small device such as a headset in the baby's ear, which makes "click" sounds and records the cochlear's response to those stimuli.
If it says “Pass”, the child has passed the screening test. That is, at the time of screening, the child's cochlear function is functioning normally. Conversely, if the machine shows the word "Refer", it means that the child's hearing is not satisfactory on the first measurement. Parents need to take their child for a second screening after 12 hours to confirm the diagnosis. If the second time the results are still the same, the parents will be instructed to take the child for examination and evaluation at a specialized facility for treatment orientation.
Note that newborn hearing screening should be done between 24-72 hours after birth. There is a study that after 2 days, the rate of second re-measurement decreases to 5-6% compared to 11% after 1 day of age, so the early recognition of hearing ability is based on the natural reflexes of the patient. Children are very important.

If children with hearing loss problems are detected early, then timely intervention measures will help them restore hearing, speech, pronunciation, and language development.
For children with a diagnosis of injury, the doctor will develop a recovery plan on a case-by-case basis. Some children will have cochlear implant surgery to restore hearing or wear hearing aids if the child is older. Children with hearing loss if detected early and intervened early will be able to hear, speak and develop like normal children.
Therefore, in cases of premature babies, sick mothers during pregnancy... should not be subjective and ignore the newborn ear examination. The examination will help the doctor check the child's health status and intervene in a timely manner.

Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has deployed a hearing screening package for infants and older children, helping to detect early vision impairment and congenital hearing impairment. The examination and treatment is always performed by a team of dedicated, qualified pediatric specialists, combined with the most modern medical equipment to bring the best treatment results for children.
Early treatment always brings positive results and ensures the best life for the child later on.