What does it mean when an infant does not pass the hearing screen?
A newborn who fails an initial hearing screen may not necessarily have a permanent hearing loss or a hearing loss at all. There are many possible reasons why an infant may fail a hearing screening test. One common reason is that fluid from the birth may still be present in the ear canal. This fluid blocks the sound stimulus, preventing it from reaching the inner ear, and therefore causes the newborn to fail. Similarly, fluid in the middle ear space behind the eardrum (a common site for infection in children) can also block the sound stimulus and lead to a false failed test. After these problems resolve, the infant usually passes the re-screen. Therefore, it is important to have at least one week between the initial hearing screen and the re-screen to allow the newborn a chance to “dry out.” Another possible reason for a false failure is excessive noise or movement from the infant during the test. The responses that are recorded with an ABR or OAE are very, very small. Any movement or c
