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Original poster

Baby failed hearing test at a day old.

59 replies

SashaSays · 19/11/2016 23:04

Hi everyone, so I'm a very anxious person in general to start with. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl yesterday at 10.09am she is the precious and I really adore her however i am extremely anxious. So to start with she has been puking up mucus which midwifes tell me is normal and just has collected from birth but i'm terrified of her choking in her sleep so I haven't slept since she was born. Anyways onto my main point, today her hearing was tested and she failed both tests. The lady who done it did tell me she could fail due to vernix or mucus in the ear but passage which is very very common as she was only born yesterday but still disheartening to hear,she came back to do the second test 3 hours after the first test had been done which made no sense at all..why would the mucus have cleared up in 3 hours? Surely a week or more. What scares me even more is there was a very loud noise yesterday which didn't seem to startle her but i have been watching her quite closely as i'm worried and but she has been reacting to sound all day so I'm just a bit scared. When I dropped my phone on the floor last night by accident she jumped I honestly feel so selfish for feeling this way as she was born perfect and a lot of other people have it a lot worse than i do. Anyone been through the same. Just need a hand hold i guess. Sorry didn't know where to post this

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LittleBearPad · 19/11/2016 23:57

Please get some rest. Lots of babies fail their hearing test, my DS included. He can hear perfectly well.

The mucus is perfectly normal too. Put her on her back in the cot and close your eyes. If she needs you, she'll let you know.

Original poster

SashaSays · 20/11/2016 00:36

I will follow that advice. Thank you everyone, i will try my hardest not to worry.

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babynelly2010 · 20/11/2016 11:09

My ds failed both twice at hospital, two weeks later at hearing centre passed with flying colours. I was like you very stressed about it even though we could see him reacting to sound. I cried once he passed the test right in the hearing test room with nurses around because it was such built up if pressure and stress. One of the nurses cried with me :-). The fact is that your daughter is very mucusy may be a sign that her ears were just blocked with mucus.

thecatsarecrazy · 20/11/2016 18:29

1 day is very early to test, they normally leave it 2 or 3 weeks incase of stuff in their ears. My son failed his and was referred to hospital for another. Sadly he does have a hearing loss he's mild-mod deaf. However he has perfect speech and hasn't let it hold him back

timeforachangeithink · 20/11/2016 18:34

My son is still failing hearing tests at 16 months (won't stay focussed). He can hear perfectly well, one note of the waybuloo theme tune and he'd pay attention but they don't use that for the hospital tests!

FlyingCat · 20/11/2016 18:44

Just a note to say you are helping your baby girl OP. Every time she hears you, smells you and every time you hold her you are providing a huge amount of comfort to her. Sounds like you are doing just fine. Congratulations.

Remember as well that while being emotional and anxious is normal, if you feel like you can't cope please make sure you let the midwives know so they can help you. It's more than likely that you are simply exhausted, full of hormones and overwhelmed by the very real responsibility of caring for a newborn (don't worry it gets easier!) but post natal depression is real and can be helped!

Congratulations!

Original poster

SashaSays · 25/11/2016 02:42

My daughter is a week old today & she had a different hearing test which gave a clear response in only one ear so have been referred to hearing centre on the 30th. I'm so scared, I've been crying everynight. I know others have it worse and i'm being silly but I can't help thinking the worst. What makes this situation a lot worse is i am completely terrified of something happening to my daughter during her sleep. I've noticed she has irregular breathing which scares the heck out of me & also sometimes has a jerky movement in her sleep. She's been checked by hospital just before we left and community midwife but i'm just really scared to go sleep while she is asleep. Today she's also really gassy so I can't sleep thinking she may be in discomfort. I really don't know what to do

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InTheDessert · 25/11/2016 04:05

Look at it the other way. In the past week, she has gone from failing in both ears to Failing in one ear. So at least one side "failed" due to mucus or vernix. Hopefully by next week's appointment, the other ear will clear too.

But you do sound very anxious. Have you spoken to the midwife about how your worries are stopping you sleep? That is not sustainable. You need to be able to sleep.

Congratulations on the arrival of your beautiful girl

SpaceDinosaur · 25/11/2016 04:10

Hi Sasha!

Congratulations on your undoubtedly gorgeous squish!!!

Hearing tests are just tests. They check things over and over. Your DD may just have a mucusy ear and let's be thankful that the NHS check these things over and over.

Tough love, but crying and not looking after yourself won't help her or you at the moment. You initially said you were an anxious person and that's coming over in spades. In addition to your normal anxiety, you've got a billion crazy arse hormones messing with your head too.

Irregular breathing... ever listened to anyone breathe? Most people are irregular. You only hear it when you listen for it :-)
Have you thought about getting something like an angelcare Mat? They're baby monitors with a sensor Mat which goes under baby. If if can't feel baby breathing an alarm sounds.
They go off more than you want them to because they're sensitive but that may be the reassurance you need?

When are you next seeing your MW/HW.
Talk to them in no uncertain terms about how you feel. There's support out there for those who need it.

Be kind to yourself xxx

3luckystars · 25/11/2016 04:21

Give her a bath before the next test. My daughter failed too and the midwife told me there is often stuff stuck in their ears. I gave her a bath and a clump of stuff came out and she passed the next test then.
My sister refused the hearing test in the hospital for her second son because she was so stressed when her first child failed so soon after birth. She got it done at a week and it was fine.

Babies startle. Its called the moro reflex. If you swaddle them it stops them waking up but its normal.

Its also normal to worry about them but if you are getting into a state with a new worry every week then talk to someone about your worries. Your baby sounds fine and you will get used to sleeping again. Congratulations!

Original poster

SashaSays · 25/11/2016 16:31

If its not one thing it's another. I was quite reassured by my hv today by all my other concerns. But today I mentioned to my hv i sleep on the sofa with baby by moses basket stand right next to me & she mentioned my baby is 9 times more lucky to die of sids because of this. I'm so worried because my sleeping situation can't be helped for a while due to overcrowding and i never sleep with her on me, when she falls asleep in my arms i put her in her moses basket. She also said i was at increased risk if i drink or smoke which I don't.

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Original poster

SashaSays · 25/11/2016 16:32

Likely not lucky

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welshweasel · 25/11/2016 16:35

You shouldn't sleep on the sofa with your baby but if you always put them to sleep in the Moses basket it doesn't make any difference whether you are in your bed or sleeping on a sofa. The important thing is to to fall asleep with them on the sofa.

Original poster

SashaSays · 25/11/2016 16:39

Okay i never fall asleep with her on the sofa. I always put her in the moses basket. No matter how tired i am, thank you for reassuring me.

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3luckystars · 25/11/2016 18:47

I dont understand why the risk iscreased because of where YOU are sleeping. That doesnt make sense to me.
Hope you are ok.

Me624 · 25/11/2016 20:15

Sasha my DS is 9 months old next week and like your DD he was full of mucus at birth and failed his hearing test in one ear and failed it again the next day, he passed about 2 weeks later when they did a different test.

With regards to the mucus I would say this took a good couple of months to clear properly. He always sounded very noisy in his sleep and some of my friends would comment on how they'd have to check in the night that their babies were still breathing - mine was so snuffly he kept me awake half the time! He always turned his head to the side if he was bringing up mucus - babies are very good at doing this instinctively so they won't choke. Try not to worry about this. Other things you could try that might help are tilting her Moses basket slightly - I used to put a couple of hardback books under the head end of DS's basket. The other thing which really helped DS loads was a humidifier. They cost about £30 and pump out steam - we used to have it on at night for the first few months until DS didn't need it anymore. It's still useful for when he has a cold - he's got a stinking one right now so it's on tonight!

Original poster

SashaSays · 25/11/2016 20:40

Thank you everyone. She's not too noisy but she when she cries i can definitely hear she sounds a bit bunged up and sometimes when she's breathing. I just hope all is okay.

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dogdinner · 25/11/2016 20:45

Both mine failed the hearing test in the hospital a couple of times and had to go to the GP for one the next week and then passed. It's totally normal. Try not to worry.

Original poster

SashaSays · 25/11/2016 21:46

I didn't realise it was so common to fail. I'd like to think she's okay as i was singing to her last night and i could tell she was listening but all i can do is hope. The wait is just nerve wrecking, feel like i'll get there and be a total mess before the test is even done.

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Rosa · 25/11/2016 22:01

Mine failed and we had to go back twice to hospital and she still failed. We were referred to specialist at 3 months and she did a special test .they were unsure as she reacted but still wasn't within the proper scales. That afternoon whilst breastfeeding a massive gunk of dried blood or whatever came outof her ear. Nobody had every looked in it ....Needless to say at the follow up her hearing was 100%....congratulations on your baby and hoping that it will all be ok.

Original poster

SashaSays · 25/11/2016 22:31

Thank you rosa I can't quite believe no one would check the inside of her ear.

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UterusUterusGhali · 25/11/2016 22:42

Hi there.
I am a hearing screener among other stuff, so if you have any questions please ask. :)

Our trust test at 5 days, as there is much less chance of a poor response. We will do the AOE (in ear test) twice, five hours at least after the first, because of the ear debris.
Did she have the test with the headphones and sticky patches on the neck? (AABR)

Even if she has a hearing loss in one ear, we test now so early that if she needs any intervention we can action it immediately.

Do try to remember it's just a screen. We're checking to see ether you have to go to audiology. We can't diagnose a hearing loss, but send you to a dr who can.

Flumplet · 25/11/2016 22:54

That weird newborn breathing thing freaked me right out too OP!! I'll never forget my friends came around to visit
DS just after he was born, and one of my friends was having a cuddle and I was looking at him and I noticed a pause in his breathing for what seemed like an eternity - but in reality was something like 3-4 seconds - then starting again. Freaked me right out. He's now a super bouncy 5yo. He also failed hearing tests due to mucous. C-section babies often have mucous for a lot longer because it doesn't get squeezed out in the birth canal. DS now has typical 5yo selective hearing. Please do look after yourself OP, you sound so anxious which is normal to an extent when you have a newborn, but if it's ruining your enjoyment of your baby please consider visiting your GP.

Original poster

SashaSays · 26/11/2016 07:34

UterusUterusGhali she did have the test which she only passed in one ear. The lady who done the test did warn me it would be harder because it was very noisy when the test was done although it doesn't help with the worry. The ear she didn't pass she was in her cot quite unsettled but on the ear she did pass she was put on my breast because of how unsettled she was. Flumpet its sooooo scary especially when it's your first, really wasn't expecting it.

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Original poster

SashaSays · 26/11/2016 07:35

That didn't really make sense sorry I meant she was put on my breast so she could keep quiet and she did.

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