Pediatric Testing

Spokane ENT provides diagnostic hearing evaluations for children of all ages. These tests are a combination of behavioral and objective tests. Sometimes it is necessary to have several sessions before sufficient information is gathered on your child’s hearing. 

Reasons children should have a diagnostic hearing tests:

• Developmental or Speech/Language Delay
• Failed school hearing screening in one or both ears
• Parent concern of hearing loss
• Child has risk factors for late onset or progressive hearing loss
• Monitoring of a known hearing loss
• Chronic ear infections or other medical concerns

Diagnostic Tests Provided:

• Pure Tone Testing – includes air conduction and bone conduction. This is a behavioral test of the softest sound heard for low through high frequencies. Used to determine the degree and type of hearing loss. 
• Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) – child is conditioned to look at a lighted toy when he/she hears sounds through visual reinforcement. 
• Play Audiometry – child is conditioned to put a toy in a bucket every time he/she hears a soft sound.
• Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) – indicates structural integrity of part of the cochlea.
• Acoustic Immittance – includes Tympanometry, which assesses middle ear function, and Acoustic Reflexes/Decay which assesses the function of the seventh and eighth cranial nerves.

Newborn Screening/Testing

Spokane ENT provides comprehensive newborn screening services for the Washington State Early Hearing Loss Detection, Diagnosis, and Intervention (EHDDI) program. All children who fail the newborn screening in the hospital should have a diagnostic hearing evaluation by one month of age. 

Diagnostic Tests We Provide:

• OAE (Otoacoustic Emissions)
• IMPEDANCE (Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflexes)
• ABR/BAER (Auditory Brainstem Response)
• ASSR (Auditory Steady-State Response)

It may be necessary for your child to return for continued testing in order to obtain a complete hearing test

If your child has risk factors that may cause late onset hearing loss it will be necessary for continued follow-up. It is recommended that your child be seen every 3 months if there is hearing loss present. Every 6 months if no hearing loss is present.

Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) Risk Indicators For Late Onset And Progressive Hearing Loss (2000)

1. Illness or condition requiring admission of 48 hours or greater to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
2. Stigmata or other finding associated with a syndrome known to include a sensorineural and/or conductive hearing loss
3. Family history of permanent childhood hearing loss
4. Craniofacial anomalies, including those with morphologic abnormalities of the pinna and ear canal
5. In-utero infections such as cytomegalovirus, herpes, toxoplasmosis or rubella

Facts on Infant Hearing: Hearing loss is the most common birth defect. Approximately 3 in 1000 babies are born with a hearing loss. Most of these children (90%) are born to hearing parents. At least 50% of children born with a hearing loss have no known hearing loss risk factors. Even a mild hearing loss can affect speech and language development, it can also affect emotional well-being.