The test of the ear is a mandatory test by law that must be done still in the maternity, in the babies to evaluate the hearing and to detect some degree of deafness in the baby early. This test is free, easy and does not hurt the baby, being done during sleep.
The test is done by placing a specific device on the baby's ear to detect hearing problems, such as deafness, that make the child's speech and learning difficult. If the ear test detects any problem, the baby is referred to the otolaryngologist, who will guide the best treatment for the problem diagnosed.
Who needs to audition for the ear
According to the guidance of the Ministry of Health, all babies born in the hospital need to perform the test of the ear, also called neonatal hearing screening, still in the maternity ward, in the first days of birth.
The test should preferably be done on the 2nd or 3rd day of the baby's life, but it can also be done at any age if the parents or pediatrician suspects that the child does not listen well because it does not respond to the sounds.
The baby who has a higher risk of having the altered ear test are those who:
- They were born preterm, before 38 weeks of gestation;
- They present some case of deafness in the family;
- They stayed more than 5 days in the ICU or were hospitalized and need to breathe with the aid of devices, took antibiotics, diuretics or aminoglycodides;
- They were born with less than 1, 5kg;
- They present some syndrome like Waardenburg, Alport, Pendred or alteration like the cleft lip;
- When the mother had any infection during pregnancy such as toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, syphilis or HIV;
- In case of malformation involving the ear or bones of the face;
- If the baby had any of the diseases at birth: cytomegalovirus, herpes, measles, chickenpox and meningitis;
- If the baby suffered a head injury;
- If the baby does chemo.
The test should be performed on both ears and can be repeated after 30 days.
What to do if the test of the ear has changed
The test may give altered in only one ear, when the baby has fluid in the ear, which may be the amniotic fluid. In this case, the test should be repeated after 1 month.
When the doctor identifies a change in both ears, he can immediately indicate that the parents take the baby to the otorhinolaryngologist or speech-language pathologist to confirm the diagnosis and start treatment. In addition, it may be necessary to observe the development of the baby, trying to see if he listens well. At 7 and 12 months of age, the pediatrician can retake the ear test to evaluate how the baby is hearing.
The following table indicates how the child's auditory development occurs:
| Baby age | What should he do? |
| Newborn | Scare at loud sounds |
| 0 to 3 months | Calms down with moderately strong sounds and songs |
| 3 to 4 months | Pay attention to sounds and try to imitate sounds |
| 6 to 8 months | Try to find out where the sound comes from; speaks things like 'given' |
| 12 months | begins to speak the first words, as mom and understands clear orders, such as 'bye' |
| 18 months | speak at least 6 words |
| 2 years | speaks sentences using 2 words like 'what water' |
| 3 years | speaks sentences with more than 3 words and wants to give orders |
The best way to tell if your baby does not listen well is to take him to the doctor for tests. At the doctor's office, the pediatrician can perform some tests that show that the child has a hearing impairment and if this is confirmed, may indicate the use of a hearing aid that can be tailored.
See other tests your baby should do right after birth.
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