Since 2009, every newborn child has been entitled to a newborn hearing screening. This means an examination that tests the child's hearing ability. The check-up regularly takes place between the baby's second and fourth day of life and is usually carried out at the maternity clinic as part of the U1 screening. For children born at home or in a birthing centre, the ENT doctor carries out the screening. In any case, the health insurance companies cover the costs.
For every 1,000 babies born, two to three are born with impaired hearing that needs to be treated. The earlier an impairment is recognised, the sooner it can be eliminated or compensated for.
Why is screening so important?
Being able to hear is the basis for Learn to speak . This means that only children who can hear are able to recognise and ultimately repeat what is being said around them. Interestingly, deaf babies also cry audibly, even though they cannot hear themselves. Unlike healthy children, however, their crying is relatively monotonous and deep.
In order to hear and understand, the ear picks up the sound waves that arrive there and converts them into specific signals. The auditory nerve then transports these signals to the brain. Here they are processed and perceived or understood as speech. Areas of the brain that are necessary for speech also "work" on this process.
In addition to language development, the ability to hear ultimately also influences a child's psychosocial and emotional development. Developmental delays can easily occur if it goes unnoticed for a long time that a child has poor hearing or cannot hear at all. Conversely, this means that the earlier a hearing impairment is detected, the better the child can be treated. Modern hearing aid technology is already doing a great job here. In combination with early intervention, a lot can be done for young people.
How does newborn hearing screening work?
The baby is basically unaware of the actual examination. It is completely painless, has no side effects and only takes a few minutes. Newborn hearing screening can even be carried out when the baby is asleep.
There are two measurement methods, both of which may be used or only one of them.
The derivation of Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) shows whether the inner ear is able to receive and emit sound waves. To do this, a very soft sound is played into the baby's ear. If this is registered by the ear, the ear in turn emits a sound in response. This indicates that the middle ear and cochlea are functioning.
The Automated brainstem audiometry (AABR) provides information on whether the nerve impulses from the inner ear are being transmitted to the brain and processed "according to plan". To do this, electrodes are attached to the baby's forehead, cheekbones and neck. A sound is then played to the baby. The electrodes then measure the brain's reaction to this sound. If the reaction is measurable, the middle ear, the cochlea, the auditory nerve and the lower part of the auditory pathway are working perfectly.
What does the result say?
The test device will either display "Unremarkable" (PASS) or "Control" (REFER). However, parents should not worry immediately if a check is necessary. It will be carried out on the same day or in the next few days.
It is possible, for example, that the newborn still has a little cheese in the ear canal or a little amniotic fluid in the middle ear. Such reasons may also be present even if the check-up ends with an abnormal result. Nevertheless, in such cases, parents should definitely take their child to see a specialist within four weeks. In short: If the test device shows "control" a second time, take your child to a paediatric audiologist. This is a specialist in human hearing disorders - but specialises in children. A reliable diagnosis can be made in a paediatric audiology practice. You will also find a contact person there if you notice anything unusual about your child's hearing later on.
The German Society for Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology also points out on its website that the consequences are often underestimated if only one ear is affected by a hearing impairment. Parents should therefore pay attention to how the results for both children's ears. They should be "inconspicuous" on both sides.
Ultimately, the newborn hearing screening is only a snapshot at the time after birth. If you have the impression later on that your child cannot hear properly: Do not hesitate to seek medical advice. But please refrain from carrying out "hearing tests" on your own. Your hearing baby may not react to the sound you want to test it with because it is simply tired. On the other hand, non-hearing children can react much more sensitively to an inconspicuous movement or a breeze, for example, so that it seems as if they can hear.
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