Abstract:
As a result of newborn hearing screening, hearing aids are typically prescribed and fitted by 2-3 months of age. However, the assessment data used when prescribing hearing aids in this age group is limited in quality and quantity. There is an urgent need to supplement existing practices, by developing procedures that provide information about the appropriateness of amplification, at an earlier stage of the care pathway. Studies are underway to assess the use of aided sound field obligatory cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) in infants. The detection of an aided CAEP has the potential to provide reassurance that sounds are being physiologically detected by the auditory system and motivate parents to persevere with hearing aids; not a trivial matter in infants who might not immediately demonstrate benefit. An absent CAEP response will alert the clinician to the need to review the existing prescription and consider alternative management options. By addressing this urgent need, the current project has the real potential to improve clinical management of children with hearing loss at an earlier stage in the care pathway.
