Hear, Hear for Kids to Hear

When infants have hearing loss, it is important that they receive timely and appropriate diagnostic and intervention services. After all, kids deserve to live as normal a life as possible.

Which is why HEAR Center offers Pediatric Audiology, auditory services specifically designed for the evaluation of a child’s hearing.

For infants, it is essential that early detection be done for hearing loss, fortunately this can be easily done with newborn babies. The first procedure involves gaining access to the function of the middle ear with an impedance test which essentially takes the measurement of the ear drum.

After the impedance test is the otoacoustic emission test, wherein a probe is inserted in the ear and is connected to a computer. A sound is emitted through the probe which is then measure by the computer and shows the response of the ear and background noise.

There is also the auditory brainstem response, or the BAER test. This is when a set of electrodes are attached to a baby’s head, and is also connected to a computer. Earphones are placed on the baby’s ears where a ticking sound of various levels is emitted. The computer will measure brain response and gives a very accurate reading of a baby’s hearing ability.

Aside from these tests for babies under two years of age, there are also specialized tests for older children. These are test designed to get the children involved. One such test is the goal game, a test that feels more like a game than a test. A child is instructed to do a certain action whenever he or she hears the test sound.

Another is the audiometer, and is the definitive hearing test for kids. In it, a series of tones or voice commands are played on speakers, usually in a testing room, and a visual or condition response is looked for in a child to determine his or her hearing ability.

For soon-to-be parents, make sure you give your newborn child the proper screening test to determine whether or not they suffer from hearing loss. It may spell the difference between them coping early or having a difficult time adjusting.

For parents, if you suspect your child to be suffering from hearing loss, bring them to HEAR Center to make sure any problems are detected right away.

HEAR Center is located at 301 East Del Mar Boulevard. Clinic hours are from Monday to Thursday, 8:00 am to 6:00 p.m. HEAR Center is closed from Friday to Sunday.

For more information, you can visit http://www.hearcenter.org or call (626) 796-2016.