Failed Newborn Hearing Screening – My Daughter’s Story

When we get to the room, the audiologist leads us into a quite and dark room.  I remember that the room was tranquil, relaxing, and calm.  The room was lit with a small lamp, that provided just enough light to allow the audiologist the ability to see what she was doing to perform the hearing test.  There was a rocking chair in the room so that mom’s could rock their newborn to sleep.

The room was dark and tranquil to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere so that a newborn would relax and if your lucky he or she will sleep through the procedure.  As the audiologist preps my daughter for the test, she begins sticking lead wires on my daughter’s head.  Then she plugged the lead wires into her fancy machine and inserted a probe into my daughter’s ear.  The test went smoothly and fairly quickly.

After the test was completed, the audiologist confirmed my worst fear.  She tells me that the ABR confirms that my daughter has a severe to profound hearing loss in both ears.  The audiologist and doctors wanted to schedule a repeat ABR, just to make sure that nothing changes over the next few weeks and to confirm the diagnosis again.

A few weeks later, we went through the whole procedure again and the repeat ABR test confirmed that my daughter was deaf.

After the ABR tests, I took my daughter to the ENT doctor to ensure that there wasn’t anything physically wrong with her ears that could be causing her hearing loss.  The doctor took a look at my daughter’s ears.  He didn’t find anything physically wrong with her ears that would cause her to fail a hearing test, such as wax build up, fluid in the ear, or another deformity of the inner ear.

Healthcare professionals were somewhat reluctant to help us figure out what the next step would be because we were planning on moving in a few weeks.  However, they were willing to send documentation with me and help me find a provider who could help us once we got settled into our new home.

Continue Reading: “Hearing Aids Were an Epic Fail – My Daughter’s Story

Did your newborn fail the newborn hearing screening?  If so, did you have to have an ABR test done?

Comments

10 responses to “Failed Newborn Hearing Screening – My Daughter’s Story”

  1. April - My Bizarre Family Avatar

    Bless her heart. I can only imagine how heart breaking it was to hear those words!

    1. Christy Avatar

      I remember that I thought I did something to cause it.

  2. Liz @ Pardon My Poppet Avatar

    I haven’t had this experience. I always hold my breath every time they perform a new test! Can’t wait to hear your updates!

    1. Christy Avatar

      I hope that you enjoyed my updates.

  3. Sharon Avatar

    Those tests always make me cringe. my kids never failed the hearing tests, but the sight ones for my fourth child were touch and go for a bit.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Yes, these tests can be nerve racking to a new parent.

  4. Prototype Mama Avatar

    Oh goodness– those test are always scary– hoping to hear great updates!

    1. Christy Avatar

      Yes, tests like these are not fun.

  5. Patrick Pompey Avatar

    I am so sorry to hear that. That is the saddest experience that I had when I had my son’ hearing checked. I tell you, its not an experience you want to see done to youe sone but has to be. But I am thankful that I did. There were interventions done at an early age to help with his difficulty. I know you and your daughter can get through this.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Patrick did your child get a cochlear implant or have to wear hearing aids?