The first few days after my son was born were blissful. Then the nurse came with a small device to test his hearing. She put a soft earpiece in his ear. The machine showed “refer.” That means he did not pass. She said not to worry. Sometimes babies have fluid in their ears. We should test again in two weeks. Two weeks later, the same result. My heart sank. Our pediatrician recommended an auditory brainstem response test. I was terrified. But the test was painless and gave us the answers we needed.
What Is an Auditory Brainstem Response Test
An auditory brainstem response test, often called an ABR test, measures how the hearing nerve and the brain respond to sound. Small stickers called electrodes are placed on the baby’s head and behind the ears. Soft earphones play clicking sounds into the baby’s ears. The electrodes record the electrical activity in the hearing nerve and the brain. The test does not require the baby to do anything. In fact, the baby should be asleep or very still.
The ABR test tells the doctor whether the baby can hear sound at all and roughly how loud the sound needs to be for the baby to hear it. It is a good screening test for newborns.
What Happened During Our ABR Test
We took our son to an audiology clinic when he was two months old. The audiologist asked us to keep him awake for four hours before the test so that he would be tired and fall asleep during the test. That was hard. A tired two month old is a cranky two month old. But we managed. Once he fell asleep, the audiologist placed the small electrodes on his head. It took about ten minutes. He slept through the whole thing.
The results came quickly. The audiologist showed us a graph. Our son had normal hearing in both ears. The initial failures were likely due to fluid from birth that had not fully cleared. I cried with relief.
Why the Auditory Brainstem Response Test Is Important
If your baby fails the newborn hearing screening, do not panic. Many babies pass on the second or third try. But if they keep failing, an ABR test is essential. Early detection of hearing loss is critical. Babies learn speech by hearing it. If hearing loss is caught early, they can get hearing aids or other help before language development is affected.
The auditory brainstem response test is safe, painless, and accurate. It gave us peace of mind. If your baby needs this test, do not be scared. It is simple. Your baby will likely sleep through it. And the answers you get will help you make the best decisions for your child’s future.
The auditory brainstem response test is safe, painless, and accurate. It gave us peace of mind. If your baby needs this test, do not be scared. It is simple. Your baby will likely sleep through it. And the answers you get will help you make the best decisions for your child’s future.
