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Hearing Test for newborns

35 replies

Hulababy · 16/03/2006 17:36

\link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4808416.stm\Hearing Test for newborns}

This has been piloted for a while but looks like it will go nationwide now.

DD has this test at a day old, nearly 4 years ago. I hadn't realised it was only a pilot and not standard at the time.

Would be lovely to think it can help to identify more children with hearing difficulties early, and thus meaning they will have greater opportunities earlier on to help them with this.

OP posts:
starlover · 16/03/2006 17:37

oh i thought it was the norm too! ds had this when we got home from hospital

LIZS · 16/03/2006 17:43

It was standard in Switzerland when dd was born 4 1/2 yeasr ago. Agree it is a great reassurance although if they get infections later , they may yet have problems.

ruty · 16/03/2006 17:46

ds had this at hospital! didn't realise it was a pilot either.

Cristina7 · 16/03/2006 17:47

Hurray! Long overdue.

DD was born last March and despite being in SCBU for 2 weeks and having a deaf brother I had to be really pushy to get her screened (she's fine).

coppertop · 16/03/2006 17:49

Ds2 (3yrs) was given his 6wk hearing test using this equipment. The test was introduced to all newborns a couple of months later. I thought it had been introduced everywhere by now.

It's a huge improvement on the tests they used before. Ds1 also had to have an early hearing test and it was a nightmare. It took over 1.5hrs because he refused to sleep while being tested. Ds2's test took less than 2 minutes.

Nemo1977 · 16/03/2006 17:49

My Ds had this test at 4wks old. Oddly though DD hasnt been asked to go for hers..wonder if there is now a back log???????

alexsmum · 16/03/2006 17:50

ds had this at 12 hours old! he passed!

julienetmum · 16/03/2006 17:58

Dd missed out on this test as we only moved back to an area where it was being piloted when she was 6 m onths old.

Ds had it. He was a couple of days old. Usually they do it in hospital when they are a few hours old but ds was a homebirth so they came out to me at home to do it.

biglips · 16/03/2006 18:01

i thought the newborns have hearing test IF either the parents are deaf (me) as my friends 6 mths old baba hadnt had his hearing test yet

biglips · 16/03/2006 18:01

but im gald that ALL newborns should have a hearing test

geogteach · 16/03/2006 18:12

DS2 had this soon after he was born, the health visitor did it on one of her first visits. I was very releived as DS1 (3 at the time) had just been diagnosed as being deaf. I have met people who have been diagnosed using the test though and I think perhaps they should hold off until the baby is 6-12 weeks old, some found it very difficult to be told this news about a baby they hadn't yet really had a chance to bond with - if that makes sense.

biglips · 16/03/2006 18:15

i had to wait till DD was 4 mths old before she had hers

coppertop · 16/03/2006 18:22

I know that when ds1 and ds2 had their early hearing tests (because of a family history of deafness) we were told that ideally the test needed to be done before the age of 6 weeks. I have no idea why though or how much the results would be affected by the test being carried out later.

zephyrcat · 16/03/2006 18:28

DS had this test when he was a couple of months old - maybe a bit less in '04 and it was absolutely useless!! He had to have it done at least 4 different times and they still couldn't get a reading because there were cars going past or he was breathing too loud or he moved when it went in his ear. As a result he was referred to an audiology unit - the appointment for which never came through until a couple of months ago and it was then discovered that he 'might' have a bit of glue ear. All seems a bit pointless to me if they are that inaccurate/over sensitive.

WestCountryLass · 16/03/2006 20:26

Yep, it was piloted here too but unfortunately DS did have hearing problems and slipped through the net as he was in NICU but was discharged without having the test done and it was 8 months before it was picked up. I agree, really great that this will be available to all soon!

VeniVidiVickiQV · 16/03/2006 20:30

Sorry, but this test was a total PITA for me and DS.

They kept coming in and waking me up and DS - who was waking every 25 mins anyway. Then saying they cant do it because he needs to be asleep. They kept coming round to get a reading because they needed quiet. On a post natal ward ffs.

I really didnt need it and had them come round more times than i care to remember during my 4 day post natal stay.

Im sure its very beneficial but it was the last thing I needed at the time.

Jasnem · 16/03/2006 20:43

Ds had his repeated yesterday(hes 18 days old) after failing in hosp at 18 hours old. A bit inconvenient for me ( delayed hosp discharge for the first, and had to get taxis to test for second) but I guessgood in theory. Would like to have been able to opt out asI was confident his hearing is good.

shellybelly · 16/03/2006 21:11

I thought all newborns got this, dd got it before we left hospital, pleased to see its going nationwide Grin

Mum2OneAndOneMore · 16/03/2006 21:13

Oh dd had this is well when we got home she was about 3-4 days old, good idea isnt it.

Mum2OneAndOneMore · 16/03/2006 21:15

sorry not 3-4 days old she was about 3 weeks + 4 days old because i remember the health visitor saying to me they were ment to do it before babys were 3 weeks old as it was harder when they got to this age.

WestCountryLass · 16/03/2006 21:36

I think the issues people have raised will hopefully be eliminated at the audiologists have more experience using the test equiptment. DD had hers done when she was a week old and it did take a while to get a reading as she was snoring, however was less stressful than the old fashioned "rattle test" my DS had.

Ailsa · 16/03/2006 21:37

DD2 had this test in 2003, failed it first time because she had a stuffy nose so her breathing was noisy. 2nd time she passed, but not until I'd taken the batteries out of the wall clock to stop it ticking!

Elf1981 · 16/03/2006 21:46

thought this was standard! DD was born on October 6th and she had the same test on the 7th!

mawbroon · 16/03/2006 22:00

My DS had it too when he was 2 days old. We are in Scotland though, so maybe it's differnt here. i see the article only mentions England.

Tinker · 17/03/2006 13:57

Mine had it when a few hours old last May

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