Pediatric Hearing Loss Management
Discuss how hearing is tested in children, the different types of hearing loss and the intervention strategies that address the infant’s communication needs.
Hearing tests in children vary based on age and developmental level:
Newborn Hearing Screening
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE): Measures inner ear (cochlear) response to sound.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): Assesses electrical activity in the auditory nerve and brainstem.
Infant and Toddler Hearing Tests
- Behavioral Observation Audiometry (BOA): Observes an infant’s reaction to sound (e.g., startle reflex).
- Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA): Uses visual stimuli to condition responses to sound for children aged 6 months to 2 years.
Preschool and School-Aged Children
- Conditioned Play Audiometry (CPA): Children (ages 2–5) complete a task (e.g., dropping a toy) in response to sounds.
- Pure-Tone Audiometry: Tests different sound frequencies and intensities.
- Tympanometry: Assesses middle ear function by measuring eardrum movement.
2. Types of Hearing Loss
1. Conductive Hearing Loss
- Cause: Problems in the outer or middle ear (e.g., fluid buildup, ear infections, perforated eardrum).
- Treatment: Medical intervention (antibiotics, ear tubes, surgery)…
Hearing tests in children vary based on age and developmental level:
Newborn Hearing Screening
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE): Measures inner ear (cochlear) response to sound.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): Assesses electrical activity in the auditory nerve and brainstem.
Infant and Toddler Hearing Tests
- Behavioral Observation Audiometry (BOA): Observes an infant’s reaction to sound (e.g., startle reflex).
- Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA): Uses visual stimuli to condition responses to sound for children aged 6 months to 2 years.
Preschool and School-Aged Children
- Conditioned Play Audiometry (CPA): Children (ages 2–5) complete a task (e.g., dropping a toy) in response to sounds.
- Pure-Tone Audiometry: Tests different sound frequencies and intensities.
- Tympanometry: Assesses middle ear function by measuring eardrum movement.
2. Types of Hearing Loss
1. Conductive Hearing Loss
- Cause: Problems in the outer or middle ear (e.g., fluid buildup, ear infections, perforated eardrum).
- Treatment: Medical intervention (antibiotics, ear tubes, surgery)…
