Paraclinics

Pediatric Audiology

Audiometry and Pediatric Audiology

The audiometry unit is located adjacent to the ENT clinic and provides audiometry services for both adults and children. It operates during morning and evening shifts, and in addition to audiometry for patients referred from the ENT and neurology clinics of the hospital, it serves a large number of patients referred daily from private practices, government centers, and other cities. In this unit, hearing aid prescription and parts of the procurement of hearing aids are also performed.

In the early years of life, hearing plays an important role in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of the child. Even mild or moderate hearing loss can affect the development of speech and language. Fortunately, when hearing loss is diagnosed by three months of age, hearing problems can be overcome.

Performing audiometry tests such as OAE, ABR, and ASSR during the neonatal period and their regular repetition in subsequent years is very important.

Causes of Hearing Loss in Children

Hearing loss is a common defect at birth: out of every 1,000 children, approximately 1 to 3 have hearing loss. Although many factors may lead to hearing loss, in nearly 50% of cases no cause is found.

A child may develop hearing loss if:

  • The child is born premature.
  • The child is admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
  • The child has jaundice with high bilirubin requiring blood exchange.
  • The child takes medications that may cause hearing loss.
  • One of the family members has had hearing loss since childhood.
  • The child suffers repeated ear infections.
  • The child is affected by infections such as meningitis or cytomegalovirus.
  • The child is exposed to very loud sounds or noises, even briefly.

When is the Best Time to Perform a Newborn Hearing Test?

Most newborns born with hearing loss are diagnosed at birth through neonatal hearing screening tests (OAE and AABR). However, in some cases, hearing loss develops later for various reasons such as infections, trauma, or very loud noises. Researchers believe that the likelihood of hearing loss is higher between infancy and adolescence. Therefore, regular audiometry testing during infancy and childhood is important.