Let’s take care of our baby, Toyohashi ear test.
The frequency of hearing loss in newborns occurs in 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 newborns. If hearing loss is detected early and adequate support is provided, its effects will be minimized, leading to language development and acquisition, and an improvement in communication skills is expected. After birth, the city council will subsidize part of the cost of the newborn hearing test received at the obstetrics and gynecology department as public expenses.
The professional places a device that produces light sound stimuli and measures the return of these stimuli from structures in the inner ear. The test is effective in prevention and hearing care, aiming for the early diagnosis of hearing loss.
The baby, in addition to communicating through words, also does so through gestures and looks. Therefore, both babies who hear and those who have difficulties act in a similar way until six months of age, with hearing difficulties often going unnoticed, which leads us to understand that there is a direct relationship between the hearing threshold, the speech performance and language development.
So, if something prevents us from receiving information clearly, our learning will be impaired. Our reactions will not match the situations, and, therefore, we will often be called distracted or rude. This deprivation of information prevents the child from reaching their cognitive and vocational potential, and may even generate emotional and/or behavioral problems.
> Exam
As a general rule, within 1 month of birth (see within about 7 days of birth)
> Cust
- Auditory Brainstem Reaction Test: 5,000 yen or less.
- Ear acoustic radiation: about 3,000 yen.
> How to proceed
Use the examination form included in the (Pregnant and Child Health Consultation Sheet) that is distributed with the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, and consult the obstetrics and gynecology department.
Note: if you don’t speak Japanese well, talk to the hospital translator