subject: The Tests Involved In Hearing Detection [print this page] It was said by a National Institute of Health panel that the statistics of babies that are not seen to have hearing disabilities are more than half of that are born and it is only noticed when they are about two years at which time it would have become permanent. Today, the NIH committee urges the use of this new technology that helps see if new born indeed have hearing problems by giving then a few standard test. The new idea was taken well by many healthcare workers who handle many children with hearing problems. Statistics suggest that for 1,000 babies born in the US one will be seen to have hearing disabilities according to the committee organized by the National Institute of Health. There are about less than half of the cases which are seen earlier since there is a necessary need to screen infants that are more prone to this disability due to prior birth problems. With the proper screening and diagnosis of a child by the time they are three years of says the chairman of the committee and a professor at Loyola University in Chicago then damage to the speech and language capabilities of the child is unalterable.
The professor further stated that around two and one half years old is the average age a child should be screen for hearing problems however in the future they plan to lower the age to about 6 months. Being able to check if new born babies have hearing problems is now a possibility since the creation of new technologies. Moreover experts are urging the use of a new method of finding out hearing problems in infants as this method will make use of instruments that will check for otoacoustic emissions.
While a clicking sound is being played the tool will then check for echoes in the inner ear and this simple process is what the test will involve. Then, the response hear will go under a machine that will analyze it to see if the inner ear is work normally or not. Once a child will not pass the first test, there will be a validating test done which will now make use of the auditory brainstem responses system. The secondary test will need for a contraption to be affixed on the infant's head and then there will be a clicking sound made. The sensor will be able to pick up a brain wave patter once the sound is normally heard.
In line with this, the two tests are able to analyze the responses to the sound. The tests will average about $25 for the first one and around $75 to $125 for the second one. With having new born tested in the US it will cost about $150 million to $200 million but this will save the country billions as the earning power of those who seek for medical attention earlier is greater.
A child whose hearing loss is not detected until age 3 or later loses about $400,000 to $800,000 in lifetime earnings because of a reduced ability to use language. It is said that when hearing loss is not detected early some high school graduates will end up with the reading skills of a fourth to seventh grader only. Once a child is seen to have hearing impairments earlier, they have a greater chance to learning how to live with the normal kids and go to a normal school. Being able to see hearing problems earlier will grant the country more savings.
