In Australia, more than 300 babies are born with hearing loss each year. While there are several possible reasons why a baby may not pass their newborn infant hearing screening in hospital, any baby who receives a “refer” result needs further investigation through a more detailed hearing test for newborns.
The most common follow-up assessment is called an Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test—a safe, non-invasive, and painless diagnostic tool performed by a specialist paediatric audiologist.
During this newborn hearing test, small headphones and adhesive electrodes (sticky tabs) are placed on your baby’s head to measure how their hearing nerve responds to a series of soft clicking sounds and tones. These responses are recorded to help determine whether your baby is hearing properly.
An ABR hearing test in newborn babies usually takes between two to three hours and must be done while the baby is asleep—something that can be tricky to coordinate with a newborn’s schedule!
With over 30 years’ experience working with children, Hear and Say’s audiologists share their top tips below to help families make the most of their ABR appointment.
Tips to Help Your Baby Settle for Their Newborn Hearing Test
To get the most accurate results from a hearing test for newborns such as the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test, it’s important your baby is asleep during the assessment. Here are some practical tips to help prepare:
Keep your baby awake before the appointment to encourage a longer sleep during the test.
Delay feeding until you arrive at the clinic. Hear and Say provides a private room and allows plenty of time for you to feed and settle your baby before the newborn hearing test begins.
Try to avoid letting your baby fall asleep in the car on the way to the appointment, if possible.
Avoid using moisturisers or oils on your baby’s skin on the day of the test. This helps the electrode tabs stick properly during the hearing test in newborn assessments.
Since the testing environment needs to be very quiet and the appointment can last up to three hours, we kindly ask that you arrange care for any siblings during this time.
Even with all the preparation, it’s completely normal for some babies to struggle to sleep or only nap briefly during the appointment. Hear and Say’s experienced audiologists are highly skilled in working with infants and can troubleshoot as needed throughout your baby’s newborn infant hearing screening or follow-up test.
We’re here to support everyone in their hearing journey.
Get in touch to find out more.