Newborn failed hearing test?????

Question

I am actually still in the hospital with my one day old. She failed her first hearing test and they told me it was very common for this to happen, they gave her another one about ten hours later and failed that one also but the nurse said she was fussy which can interfere. They are giving us one before we leave tomorrow and if she fails that we come back in a few days. The nurse said about 99.9% of babies pass when they come back but i was wondering if anyone has been through this and what happened..I am so worried about it i cant sleep so I am online.

Answer 1

Don't worry honey..let them try another test within a couple of days..this may allow all the junk in the ears to be clean..

Sometimes babies have junk in their ears..and tought as it sounds..its true..but after couple of days ..it should be cleared..

Try to make sharp noises infront of your baby and see if she responds.

Answer 2

I know it sounds almost cruel butttttt....try making a loud noise around her, a loud clap maybe? See if she startles or jumps. If she reacts then you know she is fine and it will ease your mind a little. If she does end up having a hearing problem just be thankful she is healthy otherwise. I have a special-needs daughter and I promise you, even with all the extra attention she requires she is a blessing and brings joy to my life every minute of every day!

Good Luck and Congrats on the new baby girl!

Answer 3

They did my son's hearing test while he was asleep, so if they think she is fussy & that's interfering you could ask them about that. The best thing you can do is not worry! In the unlikely event that she fails the tests, I think they do another in a couple of months too. Obviously the worst case scenario is that she has a hearing problem - is that a huge deal for you? I think you will find you love her just the same :) and the plus side of finding out early is that you will be able to do everything you can to help her. Try not to stress, I know it's hard, but que sera sera (whatever will be, will be) and if she does have a hearing problem..well you can always be grateful it's not anything worse :D I'm sure she will be fine. Good Luck.

Answer 4

my son is 2 weeks old and has just had his test and passed, but they said they usually wait till now to test as they are born with a lot of fluid in their ears and it takes at least a week to come out, which is why they will only test at my local hospital after the first week. Maybe ask about the fluid in the ears after birth and if they agree see if your baby can be re tested in a few days so that it gives the fluid chance to drain. It is very normal for babies to fail the test after only a day, if their is fluid then the signals given by the ear peace will not be able to reach the ear drum. Dont worry, given a few days all will be fine and she will pass with flying colours!

Answer 5

My hubby is half deaf and we think the baby hearing tests are such a croc that we didn't even bother. Being in the business, so to speak, we think we are more likely to pick up a hearing loss than the doctors, because we know what strategies deaf people use and have the time to observe. The infant welfare sister agreed with us too :) The nurse was right. The tests are notoriously unreliable and 99.9% of babies will pass subsequent tests.

If she doesn't, the worst case scenario is you have a baby with some degree of hearing loss. This isn't the end of the world :) You start learning to sign, and teach your daughter to make sure language and communication skills develop. It really doesn't matter which language she learns, as long as she learns one. In fact, this is a good idea even if she doesn't have a hearing loss. Signing develops faster than spoken language, so a kid can have a larger vocabulary sooner. Believe me, that really helps with toddler frustration! Fewer tantrums!

If your daughter ends up with a severe loss, she may not learn to speak, but I know deaf people with PhD who don't speak, so that's not a worry! If she has a more moderate loss, she can certainly learn to speak, but would require work with a speech therapist. It would be up to you whether it was worth the time, or if it would be better spent on other things. I know plenty of deaf people who can speak, but find communication runs smoother if they don't :) The general consensus with the deaf I've spoken to is that it is good to be able to speak, but if it is that hard to learn, it is not worth the time. Learning to read and write well is more useful in the long run. You wouldn't want your kid to miss her entire education just to attend speech classes, would you?

Cochlear implants are not a cure all, so don't believe anyone who says they are. Signing is still a good idea. Even a mild hearing loss exludes people from most conversations, and they won't just "pick things up" by overhearing others, the way everyone else does.

~Bilingualism is a good thing. Most of the world is at least bilingual.

~None of this might matter, since your daughter will probably pass the test.

~If she doesn't, don't believe everything the doctors tell you. They don't know everything. Do your own research before you make any decisions.

Email me if you want more info on signing or deaf education. The services in most of the world are dreadful, so you can't rely on being given all the appropriate info. Huh. In Sweden, as soon as a child is diagnosed as having a hearing loss, someone is sent to the parent's place to explain exactly why it is not the end of the world and why you don't have to loose sleep like you are now, you poor dear! I think Sweden sounds like a very civilised country :)

Edit: It is quite possible to be able to hear a clap, but not hear a whisper, (like my hubby) or vice versa (like our friend.) Hearing losses don't have to be across the whole range. Don't freak out if your baby doesn't respond to your "home tests." They often don't and it has nothing to do with their ability to hear, and everything to do with not caring about the noise.

Answer 6

My son also failed the test in both ears the first time, and in one ear the second time. Apparently its very common because the amniotic fluid is still in their ears. We went back when he was about a month old and he passed. The best time for them to test her is when she is asleep.

Answer 7

Exact same thing happened to my son.  I was worried too.  We were being monitored for 4 days anyway, so they waited until our 3rd day in hospital and tested his hearing again.  He passed no problem but was sick everywhere!!!

The problem was that they have a lot of gunk in their ears/nose etc when they are born.  It is usually squeezed out when they are being pushed through the birth canal but some can be left in their ears unless it is sucked out when they are getting cleaned up.  My little boy still had some of the gunk in his left ear which was blocking it but by the next day it had all drained out and he was fine.

Answer 8

You poor thing.  I bet you are beside yourself!  Those hearing tests are pretty amazing aren't they.  I can't offer any advice I'm sorry.  Good luck to you.  Everything will be OK.

Answer 9

First... Congratulations!

Don't worry yourself to much :) It took 3 tests for my daughter to pass her hearing test. She refused to stay asleep while they hooked up all their little devices to her so she would get fussy and spoil it. I wouldn't lose sleep over it though.

She could just have gunk in her ears or she could have been to fussy. Worse case scenario is you have a healthy beautiful baby with a hearing problem. It could be really minor. Either way theres not much you can do about it other then wait for the test tomorrow and get some sleep. Even if she fails the test it isnt 100% positive that she has a hearing problem. Go get some sleep momma your gonna need it in the days ahead of you.

Answer 10

Don't worry it's probably nothing i hope all is good get some sleep take care.