Infant hearing screening: a comparison of two techniques

Aust N Z J Public Health. 1998 Apr;22(2):261-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842x.1998.tb01185.x.

Abstract

Hearing screening programs for Australian children are known to have poor coverage in many areas. In addition, only a minority of children are screened for hearing loss before 2 years of age. However, early detection of hearing loss and early treatment are generally considered very important to successful rehabilitation outcomes. Traditional methods of screening infants have limitations with their accuracy in detecting children with hearing loss. This study compared the results obtained with a traditional questionnaire approach to screening and a newer objective technique involving otoacoustic emission measures. Poor correlation was found between pass rates for the two techniques, suggesting that the questionnaire approach is not an accurate screening method for detecting infant hearing loss. With further development, otoacoustic emission testing holds promise as an objective alternative hearing screening procedure.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Diagnostic Techniques, Otological* / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Hearing Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous*
  • Queensland
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*
  • Time Factors