What to do if a premature newborn baby fails the hearing screening?

Premature newborns have more serious hearing damage, and some children may even become deaf. So for many parents, when their children are premature, they must do a good job of hearing screening for premature newborns, and they must pass the screening as soon as possible to ensure the health of the child. So what should you do if a premature newborn fails the hearing screening? Let's take a look at the following introduction.

1. Screening

A two-stage screening is implemented: medical care institutions conduct initial screening on the premise of informed consent and informed choice of the neonatal guardian, from 2-5 days after birth to before discharge. Those who fail the screening will be rescreened within 42 days after birth. Those who still fail the screening should be referred to a tertiary hospital with qualifications for neonatal disease (hearing) testing. For key screening subjects, even if they pass the screening, auditory behavior observation should still be combined, and the infant's guardian should be informed to follow up once every 6 months within 3 years. If any problems are found during the follow-up, they should be referred in time for diagnosis and treatment.

2. Diagnosis and evaluation

1. Instrumental evaluation: Infants who fail the re-examination should go to a tertiary hospital with qualifications for neonatal disease (hearing) testing for otolaryngology examination and acoustic impedance, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem evoked potential testing, behavioral audiometry and other related examinations 2 to 3 months after birth, as well as medical and imaging examinations. Generally, a diagnosis and evaluation is made at 6 months of age to clarify the degree of hearing loss, the location of the hearing loss, and the possible causes.

3. Treatment and intervention

1. Treatment: Class III hospitals that are qualified to perform neonatal disease (hearing) testing are responsible for providing treatment tailored to the cause of the disease for children diagnosed with hearing impairment.

2. Hearing compensation or reconstruction: For children diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, tertiary hospitals with the qualification of neonatal disease (hearing) testing should guide the children to carry out the following early interventions:

⑴ Choose to wear hearing aids: For children who still have some residual hearing (mild to severe hearing impairment), appropriate hearing aids should be selected according to relevant standards for hearing correction;

⑵ Cochlear implant: For children with severe and profound cochlear sensorineural hearing loss, cochlear implant can be performed if conditions permit;

⑶ Hearing and language training: After wearing hearing aids or cochlear implants, the subjects will be arranged to go to relevant rehabilitation institutions for corresponding hearing-language rehabilitation training and family rehabilitation guidance to promote the hearing and language development of deaf children.

What should you do if your newborn premature baby fails the hearing screening? This is something that many parents are particularly worried about. Therefore, for many parents, they should first have a comprehensive understanding of the content introduced above, and then, through the doctor's will and a comprehensive examination, find out the reason why the hearing test failed, and then through effective treatment, let their children reach the standard of normal children as soon as possible.