According to Inga Tamošaitienė, an otorhinolaryngologist at the medical diagnostics and treatment center “Hila,” this is why newborn hearing screening is considered one of the most important early diagnostic tests today, according to a press release.
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“In the first months of a baby’s life, the brain is very actively learning to recognize sounds, so even a slight hearing impairment can affect speech development, learning, and the formation of social skills in the future. Therefore, the earlier it is detected, the more opportunities there are to help the child,” says I. Tamošaitienė.
A negative test result does not necessarily mean hearing impairment
In Lithuania, all newborns undergo primary hearing screening using the otoacoustic emissions method. This is one of the most widely used newborn hearing screening methods worldwide, allowing a quick assessment of whether the hearing cells in the inner ear respond properly to sound.
“The test is completely painless and non-invasive. A small sensor is placed in the baby’s ear, which emits weak sound signals and records the inner ear’s response. The test works best when the baby is sleeping or awake, but in such cases, it is important to ensure there are no additional movements,” explains the doctor.
According to her, the test itself usually takes only a few minutes and requires no special preparation.
According to I. Tamošaitienė, parents sometimes get scared if the first test fails or the result is unclear. However, this does not necessarily mean that the child has a hearing impairment.
“In the first days of life, various temporary factors can affect the hearing test result – remnants of amniotic fluid or ear canal secretions, the baby’s restlessness, or environmental noise. Therefore, in some cases, the test simply needs to be repeated,” says the doctor.
According to her, only if the results of repeated screenings also raise doubts are more detailed hearing tests performed, allowing an accurate assessment of hearing function.
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Why is it important not to ignore a repeat test?
The doctor emphasizes that sometimes parents, seeing a baby reacting to environmental sounds, think that additional tests are not necessary. However, a reaction to louder sounds alone is not enough to confirm normal hearing.
“A baby may react to a louder noise, but that does not mean they hear speech sounds well enough. This is why objective hearing tests are so important – they allow hearing to be assessed even when the child cannot yet say what they hear,” explains the specialist.
Hearing is worth evaluating later as well
Although most hearing impairments are detected during newborn screening, the doctor emphasizes that some may develop later. Therefore, parents should pay attention to the child’s development and consult specialists if there are doubts.
“If the baby does not respond to sounds, does not turn towards voices, and as they grow does not start to produce age-appropriate sounds or words, a consultation should not be delayed,” emphasizes I. Tamošaitienė.
According to her, hearing assessment may also be necessary for older children – for example, after frequent ear infections, prolonged colds, after injuries, or if parents notice that the child often asks for repetition, watches TV louder than usual, has difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments, or starts lip-reading. Hearing tests performed at the medical diagnostics and treatment center “Hila” help assess the hearing of infants and older children when a doctor recommends a repeat screening, there are suspicions of hearing impairment, or more detailed examination is needed.
The doctor states that modern medicine allows successful help for many children diagnosed with hearing impairments. However, one condition is necessary – the problem must be detected as early as possible.
“Modern diagnostic and treatment options allow children to compensate for hearing impairments and ensure full speech and overall development. Hearing aids, cochlear implants, hearing rehabilitation, and speech therapy support may be used. However, the best results are achieved when the impairment is detected early,” emphasizes I. Tamošaitienė.
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