Newborn Hearing Screening Test

What is a newborn hearing screening

test?
Newborn infant hearing screening programs are
designed to identify hearing loss in infants
shortly after birth.

Typically, nurses or medical assistants are
trained extensively on how to operate automated
equipment for testing infants. Prior to discharge,
each newborn has his/her hearing tested.
Why is it important to screen for
hearing loss in newborns?
Hearing intervention is critical before the age of
six moths. Without intervention, hearing-
impaired children will always experience some
form of language delay.
- Dr. Charlotte Chiong
In the study of Dr. Chiong and her team, 700
babies born in Bulacan provincial hospital was
found that the prevalence of profound congenital
newborn hearing loss was 1 per 724 or 0.14%.
As of June 9, 2014, Congenital hearing
impairment which is bilateral, profound or
permanent congenital hearing loss (PCHL)
occurs in 1.3 per 1000 live births.

If babies with unilateral and milder forms of
hearing impairment are included, the prevalence
rate increases to 22 per 1000 live births.
How Does Newborn Hearing
Screening Testing Work?
Two different types of hearing screening tests
are used to screen hearing in babies. Both of
these tests are safe and comfortable.
Otoacoustic Emissions
For this test, a
miniature earphone
and microphone are
placed in the ear,
sounds are played and
a response is
measured.
Auditory Brainstem Response
For this test, sounds are
played to the baby's ears.
Band-aid like electrodes are
placed on the baby's head to
detect responses. This test
measures how the hearing
nerve responds to sounds and
can identify babies who have
a hearing loss.
UNIVERSAL
NEWBORN
HEARING
SCREENING
AND
INTERVENTION
ACT OF 2009
Signed by Former
President Gloria
Macapagal- Arroyo
on August 12, 2009
R.A 97091
Under the law, the goal is to screen the child
below the age of one month and to be able to
repeat the screening before the age of three
months if the initial test failed for proper
diagnosis. If positive, child should have an
amplification tool or hearing aid before the age
of six months. This would optimize the
possibility of the child developing some language
despite the presence of severe hearing loss
The usual cost for OAE in testing centers is
currently P300, while the ABR test varies from
P800 to P2,000.

The basic hearing aid is P9,000- 10,000 and a
good hearing aid will cost P25,000- 30,000.

The Philippine Charity and Sweepstakes Office
will cover the hearing aid but the usual
requirements of these three quotations and
validation of hearing test by PGH or University
of Santo Tomas will apply.