Failed AABR hearing test

[tgwjslo]

Hi,

I hope fellow parents can share their experiences with me.

DD failed her hearing test at 1 day old at the hospital. We were then booked in for a follow up and at 15 days yesterday, she failed her hearing test again. The midwife then did the AABR hearing test, and DD failed again.

We should hear in 2 weeks time to be booked in for a further referral.

DD seems like she's reacting to loud noises but I don't know if that's wishful thinking.

Whilst I know it isn't the end of the world if she has hearing impairment, I can't help but be worried and just a bit upset by it all.

Has this happened to anyone and if so, what is your story? I don't want this to cloud the precious time during this newborn stage so would appreciate reading your experiences.

Thank you,
Worried Mum

My DS1 passed all his newborn hearing tests and now, aged 9, wears hearing aids.

Ds2 failed his newborn hearing tests and has perfect hearing - his was fine when they tested at 2 weeks and they tested him at 2 because of DS1.

DS3 passed his newborn hearing tests and is fine.

Sorry, pressed post as I got distracted by the postman arriving

I would say don’t worry just yet - newborn babies can be full of gunk which takes time to clear so you never know. And, if there is something wrong, people are great at sorting it.

And then you have the delights of your child shouting “I’m not listening to you”, turning off their hearing aids and stomping upstairs and you know they are literally not listening to you

Hello Teacher of the Deaf here! You say the midwife did an AABR test. The new born screening is quite a basic test but the ABR ( where they put the little electrodes on the head) is a more definitive test but it's usually done at the audiology clinic by an audiologist.

ABR can usually tell the type and level of hearing loss. If a child fails a hearing test it doesn't necessarily mean they can't hear anything. I have quite a few on my caseload with mild/ moderate hearing losses. This means that they do appear to hear/ react to loud sounds but might not hear the finer details of speech without amplification and so need hearing aids in order to hear speech clearly which then means they have a much better chance of developing speech and language in the same way as any other child.

When they said she failed were you given any more information on the level of hearing loss? Have they used words like conductive loss, sensory-neural loss? Mild/ moderate/ severe etc?

It might seem daunting at first but once you know a little more you might not feel quite so afraid. Have a look at the NDCS website (www.ndcs.org.uk) lots of support and information on there.

Thanks for the responses so far! What a great community

Wait and see, don’t cross any bridges until you get to them.

FWIW, we didn’t discover DS1’s hearing loss until he was 4 and it’s amazing how well they adapt to what they’ve got. He’s got more hearing in his left ear and you can see him positioning himself without thinking about it so he can hear.

I know it's really hard, my prem baby (28 weeker) failed all his newborn tests (although wasn't carried out until we was over 3 months old) and we had further tests once out our nicu and showed he has moderate to server bilateral hearing loss, he got aided at about 6-8 months old, took a long time as he was so ill, but it was the best thing when he got his aids fitted and he could hear me ( lots of tears shed by all)
I found it the hardest thing at the time of all his health issues, as it's so visible but have come to terms with it.
Stay strong and like others have said may have no hearing issues but if they do fine some best to get help with it sooner x

My DD is profoundly deaf, she actually passed the newborn hearing screen, but failed an ABR at 13 months (we had realised she wasn’t reacting to sound around at 8 months old, it took a long while to get a diagnosis, she has a very rare type of deafness that causes babies to pass the newborn screen even though they can’t hear)

The unknown is really scary. I’d definitely recommend contacting NDCS, they are great, helped us a lot at the beginning and now I volunteer for them.

Just to say, my DD is now 4.5, has cochlear implants, and her speech and language is brilliant. She’s in a mainstream school with great support, above average in all areas and is a very popular and happy little girl. It’s taken a lot of work to get her here. But she’s a joy, and I’ve never known a more rewarding job than raising my deaf child. Whatever happens OP, it’ll be ok

Happy to answer any questions, feel free to DM me

As your little one has failed the initial hearing check you'll be referred to audiology who will perform more detailed tests. Sometimes babies pass this test after failing the initial screening.
If the test does flag up issues, there is amazing technology these days to help your child hear better.
My DS is profoundly deaf and wears Cochlear Implants. He's such a lovely cheeky little 3 year old. So if there is an issue it really isn't the end of the world, even though you may feel it is now.
Take one step at a time.
Good luck and let us know how you get on!

I will second @BrigitsBigKnickers advice for the NDCS website. Invaluable information, help and advice on everything you might need to know, there is also a Facebook group - unofficial NDCS (The official one got orphaned so some of the parents set up another one to replace it and again, the advice and support is fantastic)
It's a scary time, so I wish you good luck

My daughter failed the newborn test, then the next test and was later diagnosed with moderate hearing loss and prescribed hearing aids.

NDCS is fantastic and so supportive.

It's a massive massive shock but DD is now 2.5. Her speech is really coming on and she is a happy 'normal' toddler.

I understand you've been thrown into turmoil and the early days are hard but it will get better whether she's deaf or not xx

Sorry for the delayed reply. Time with a newborn and toddler surely does fly!

Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to respond. It's really helped settle my concerns and prepared for her next appointment.

To those that have offered me to DM, I may do so once we receive a confirmed diagnosis. Thank you for the offer and support.

Whilst I'm fairly sure that if the audiologist confirms hearing loss, I'll still experience some heartache, knowing that there is such a great support network has provided me with much needed comfort.

Thank you again ❤️

The language they use for these tests really needs changing. "Failed the test" and I was told "we can't pick up any hearing." You come away thinking your child is permanently, completely deaf.

What they should say is "we've detected there may be some level of hearing loss but we're unsure of the extent at this point. It may be temporary or permanent"

My DD was 5 weeks early and failed her tests. They told me she was profound/severe and not to get my hopes up she'd be any better than this. As it happens she now has mild hearing loss and her speech suggests that she's picking up pretty much all she can hear. I was putting her for a nap today and whispered shh" to her whilst she had her eyes closed. They popped open, she put her fingers to her lips and went "shh"

But what I learned is that regardless of the severity of the deafness, the technology is amazing and the support is brilliant. Whatever the level of deafness your child will have a fulfilling life and you will adjust to this news.

It gets easier.

I wanted to update this thread in case any other parents are searching the internet for experience of others. I know it helped me when I was feeling low.

First of all I wanted to say thank you to everyone who took time to respond. You don't know how it helps when you are presented with so much uncertainty.

My LO went for an extensive hearing test at 4 weeks old. After hours of tests with the audiologist, it was confirmed that she had good level of hearing in her left ear. Currently we are still unsure about her right ear but after reading the information on the internet as well as speaking with the audiologists we know that hearing in one ear is sufficient for her to progress through life without or little use of aids.
She will be due for another test fairly soon on her right ear but her hearing in her left ear has been sufficient for her to hear what we've been saying, respond and picking up sounds.

Thanks again everyone!