Appropriate Age for Hearing Test
Our team in the Division of Audiology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is frequently asked the following questions.
How old must a child be before a reliable hearing test can be obtained?
Children ranging in ages from newborn to 21 years of age are evaluated at our facility. From birth to 6 months of age, hearing can be evaluated by auditory brainstem-evoked response testing (ABR) and otoacoustic emissions (OAE). Children functioning beyond the 6-month developmental level can be evaluated through behavioral observation audiology (BOA) or visual reinforcement audiology (VRA).
No child is too young to have a hearing evaluation. An older child who is able to play games can be conditioned to respond when a sound is heard, point to pictures, or repeat words for evaluation of their hearing.
When should a child be referred for a hearing evaluation?
Hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects; about 3-4 in 1,000 newborns have significant hearing impairment. Hearing loss that is present at birth is called congenital hearing loss. Hearing loss also can develop later in childhood or during adulthood.
Currently, all newborns in the tri-state area are required to have a hearing screening prior to being discharged from their birth hospital. Infants who are discharged prior to screening should be seen by an audiologist for testing soon after coming home. For infants who do not pass their newborn screen, they should be retested until they receive a passing result or a diagnosis of hearing loss is confirmed.
Some risk factors associated with hearing loss include:
- Illness or condition requiring 48 hours or greater in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- Symptoms or other finding associated with a syndrome know to include sensorineural or conductive hearing loss
- Family history of hereditary sensorineural hearing loss
- Craniofacial anomalies, including those with abnormalities of the pinna and ear canal
- In utero infections, such as cytomegalovirus, herpes, toxoplasmosis or rubella (TORCH)
- Treatment with ototoxic medications
Visit the March of Dimes web site for additional information.
