Guest guest Posted December 7, 2000 Report Share Posted December 7, 2000 We have been asked to seek the views of NCT members on these leaflets - do please let Seward know what you think Universal Neo Natal Hearing Screening – National Deaf Children’s Society draft information for parents We are seeking views on three leaflets developed for parents. They are designed for parents to be and parents of newborn babies and describe the new hearing screening tests that will be piloted from 2001. There are three leaflets:- A leaflet for all parents explaining why the screen is being carried out , why it is important and what it might tell the parent A leaflet for parents of those babies who had had a first test and need a further screen, explaining why the child has been called back and the likelihood of their baby being found to have a hearing loss An information leaflet for families with a newly diagnosed deaf child. This gives initial useful information about deafness and further contact details for families to get support and help. We would welcome your views on the following:- How easy are the leaflets to understand Is the language clear and unambiguous. Do the headings help the parent to find their way around the information leaflets. Is there the right amount of information under each heading. Is the information at the right level of detail for each of the three different leaflets. Seward Information Manager National Deaf Children's Society 15 Dufferin St, London, EC1Y 8UR. Helpline 020 7250 0123 Tel 020 7490 8656 Fax 020 7251 5020 email: @... Charity Reg. number: 1016532 HEARING TESTS FOR BABIES Why test my baby for hearing loss? A small number of babies are born with a hearing loss. There is now a test to check the hearing of all new born babies. Early testing means that the few babies who are born with a hearing loss can get support straight away. No one in my family has a hearing loss. Does my baby still need to be tested? Yes. It is important to test all babies. Although only 1 baby in every 1,000 is likely to be born with a hearing loss, the majority of these babies will be born into families with no experience or history of hearing loss. Finding out that there is a hearing loss early means that you and your baby will get advice and support right from the start. When will the test be done? The test is usually done before your baby leaves the maternity unit. If you have your baby at home or your baby is not tested before you leave hospital, do not worry. Your baby will either be given the test at home, or you will be sent an appointment and asked to bring your baby to the hospital or to your local health centre. If your baby’s hearing is not tested, ask your GP, Health Visitor or local audiology department to arrange an appointment for you. It is important that your baby’s hearing is tested as early as possible. Will the test be painful for my baby? No. The test is very quick and done whilst your baby is asleep. It does not hurt and is not uncomfortable. You can stay with your baby while the test is being done. What does the test involve? A trained member of the hospital staff will carry out the test in a quiet room. They will place a small soft tipped probe in the outer part of your baby’s ear, which will send a series of clicking sounds down the ear. When an ear receives sound, the inner part, known as the cochlea, usually produces an echo. By using a computer, the tester can see how your baby’s ears respond to sound by measuring the strength and pattern of the echo. This test is called the Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) test. Some hospitals may use a different test to measure your baby’s hearing. This will involve three small sensors being placed on your baby’s head and a set of headphones being put over your baby’s ears. A series of clicking sounds are produced. A computer will then measure how well your baby’s ears respond to sound, via the sensors on your baby’s head. This is called an Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test. What do the results mean? If the test records a strong response from your baby’s ears: This means that your baby showed no sign of a hearing loss. After the screening test you may be given a checklist of what sounds your baby should react to as they grow older. Your Health Visitor will also be able to provide you with a checklist. It is always important to check your child’s hearing as they grow up. Some children may go on to develop different levels of hearing loss later in life. If you have any concerns about your child’s hearing discuss them with your GP or Health Visitor. Tests are available to test your child’s hearing at any age. If the test is unable to record a strong response from your baby’s ears: This often happens and does not necessarily mean your baby has a hearing loss. There are a number of reasons why it might be difficult to record your baby’s hearing. Some babies may be too unsettled at the time of the test or have temporary fluid or debris in their ears which makes it difficult to record a result. There may have been too much background noise in the room when the test was carried out. The hospital will ask you to bring your baby back to repeat the test in a few weeks time. When will I get the results of the tests? The results will either be given to you at the time of the test or sent to you by post. If you have any concerns about the results or any questions about the letter you receive, contact the hospital where you had the test done or talk to your GP or Health Visitor. Where can I get further information? If you would like more information about hearing tests, your baby’s results or about children and hearing loss, contact your GP, Health Visitor or local audiology department. You can also contact The National Deaf Children's Society. The Society has an Information & Helpline for parents and professionals who would like more information about hearing tests or any type of childhood hearing loss. The National Deaf Children’s Society 15 Dufferin Street London EC1Y 8UR Information & Helpline: 020 7250 0123 voice/text Fax: 020 7251 5020 E-mail: HYPERLINK mailto:helpline@... helpline@... Website: www.ndcs.org.uk Contact details of your local clinic: SECOND HEARING TEST FOR BABIES A small number of babies are born with a hearing loss. There is now a test to check the hearing of all new born babies. Sometimes this test has to be repeated. Early testing means that the few babies born with a hearing loss can get support straight away. Why does my baby have to have a second hearing test? A lot of babies need to have a second hearing test because the first test didn't show a strong response from your baby’s ears. This is very common and can be due to a number of different things. Some babies may be too unsettled at the time of the test or have temporary fluid or debris in their ears which makes it difficult to record a result. There may have been too much background noise in the room where the test was carried out. What does the second test involve? The second test will usually be the same as the first test. A small soft tipped probe will be placed in the outer part of your baby’s ear, which will send a series of clicking sounds down the ear. When an ear receives sound, the inner part, known as the cochlea, produces an echo. By using a computer, the tester can see how your baby’s ears respond to sound by measuring the strength and pattern of the echo. This test is called the Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) test. Some hospitals may use a different test to measure your baby’s hearing. This will involve three small sensors being placed on your baby’s head and a set of headphones being put over your baby’s ears. A series of clicking sounds are produced. A computer will then measure how well your baby’s ears respond to sound, via the sensors on your baby’s head. This is called an Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test. You can stay with your baby while the test is being done. Neither of these tests will hurt or be uncomfortable for your baby. They will usually be carried out when your baby is asleep. My baby seems to be responding to sound, do I need to take my baby for a second hearing test? Most babies will be found to be hearing after the second test, but it is still very important that you attend the appointment at the clinic. If your baby does have a hearing loss, an early diagnosis can make a big difference to both you and your baby. It can ensure that your baby has the best possible start in life. When will I get the results of the tests? The results will either be given to you at the time of the test or sent to you by post. If you have any concerns about the results or any questions about the letter you receive, contact the hospital where you had the test done or talk to your GP or Health Visitor. What happens if the second test records a strong response from my baby’s ears? This means your baby does not have a hearing loss. However, it is always important to check your child’s hearing as they grow up. Some children may develop different levels of hearing loss later in life. After the screening test you may be given a checklist of what sounds your baby should react to as they grow older. Your Health Visitor will also be able to provide you with a checklist. If you have any concerns about your child’s hearing discuss them with your GP or Health Visitor. Tests are available to test your child’s hearing at any age. What if the second test still does not record a strong response from my baby’s ears? If this happens your baby will be referred to your local audiology department where they can carry out special tests to measure your baby’s hearing. Again this often happens and does not necessarily mean your baby has a hearing loss. There may be a number of reasons why the test could not record a strong response from your baby’s ears. Further tests by an audiologist will give you a full picture of your baby’s hearing. What is the likelihood of my baby having a hearing loss? Most babies at the second test, and at the further tests carried out by an audiologist, will record strong responses to sound. However, there is the possibility that your baby may have a hearing loss. About 1 baby in every 1,000 is born with a hearing loss. Finding out that your baby has a hearing loss early means that you and your baby will get advice and support right from the start. Where can I get further information? If you would like more information about hearing tests, your baby’s results or about children and hearing loss, contact your GP, Health Visitor or local audiology department. You can also contact The National Deaf Children's Society. The Society has an Information & Helpline for parents and professionals who would like more information about hearing tests and any type of childhood hearing loss. The National Deaf Children’s Society 15 Dufferin Street London EC1Y 8UR Information & Helpline: 020 7250 0123 voice/text Fax: 020 7251 5020 E-mail: HYPERLINK mailto:helpline@... helpline@... Website: www.ndcs.org.uk Contact details of your local clinic: HEARING TESTS FOR BABIES AT AN AUDIOLOGY CLINIC A small number of babies are born with a hearing loss. There is now a test to check the hearing of all new born babies. Sometimes this test has to be repeated, and sometimes it is necessary to go for further tests at an audiology clinic. An audiology clinic is usually part of the local hospital and has special equipment which can test for all types of hearing loss in babies and children. Early testing means that the few babies born with a hearing loss can get support straight away. Why does my baby need to have further tests? A lot of babies need to have further tests because the first two tests didn't show a strong enough response from your baby’s ears. This is common and can be due to a number of different things. Some babies may be too unsettled at the time of the test or have fluid or debris in their ears which makes it difficult to record a result. Or there may have been too much background noise in the room when the test was carried out. Being sent for further tests does not necessarily mean your baby has a hearing loss. What tests will they do at the audiology clinic? The tests carried out at the audiology clinic will give you and the audiologist a much clearer picture of your baby’s hearing. An audiologist is someone who is trained to carry out hearing tests and fit hearing aids. There are a number of different tests they can do. None of these tests will hurt or be uncomfortable for your baby. One test which is used involves three small sensors being placed on your baby’s head and a set of headphones placed over your baby’s ears. A series of clicking sounds are produced. A computer will then measure how well your baby’s ears respond to sound, via the sensors on your baby’s head. This test is called an ABR (Auditory Brainstem Response Test). The test will usually be carried out when your baby is asleep. My baby seems to be responding to sound, do I need to take my baby for further tests? Quite often babies referred to the audiology clinic will be found to be hearing, but it is still very important that you attend the appointment. If your baby does have a hearing loss, it is important to find out as soon as possible as this can make a big difference to you and your baby. It can ensure that your baby has the best possible start in life. When will I get the results of the tests? The results will usually be given to you at the time of the tests. If you have any concerns about the results or you have any questions, contact the audiology clinic or talk to your GP or Health Visitor. What happens if the tests record a strong response from my baby’s ears? This means your baby does not have a hearing loss. However, it is always important to check your child’s hearing as they grow up. Some children may develop different levels of hearing loss later in life. After the screening test you may be given a checklist of what sounds your baby should react to as they grow older. Your Health Visitor will also be able to provide you with a checklist. If you have any concerns about your child’s hearing discuss them with your GP or Health Visitor. Tests are available to test your child’s hearing at any age. What if the tests still do not record a strong response from my baby’s ears? If this happens your audiologist will explain what the results mean and the type of hearing loss your baby has. There are different types of hearing loss and different levels. The results of the tests will help the audiologist ensure that you and your baby get the right support. What is the likelihood of my baby having a hearing loss? Most babies will record strong responses to sound at these tests. However, there is also the possibility that your baby may have a hearing loss. About 1 baby in every 1,000 is born with a hearing loss. Finding out that that your baby has a hearing loss early means that you and your baby will get advice and support right from the start. Where can I get further information? If you would like more information about hearing tests, your baby’s results or about children and hearing loss, contact your GP, Health Visitor or local audiology department. You can also contact The National Deaf Children's Society. The Society has an Information & Helpline for parents and professionals who would like more information about hearing tests and any type of childhood hearing loss. The National Deaf Children’s Society 15 Dufferin Street London EC1Y 8UR Information & Helpline: 020 7250 0123 voice/text Fax: 020 7251 5020 E-mail: HYPERLINK mailto:helpline@... helpline@... Website: www.ndcs.org.uk Contact details of your local clinic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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