Can babies hear normally after birth? How do specialists test hearing in infants and toddlers who cannot respond during a traditional hearing exam?
In this episode of Monday Health Minutes, Melanie Shafer talks with Valley Health audiologist Kim Legg about Auditory Brain Stem Response (ABR) testing — a safe, painless hearing test that measures how sound travels from the ear to the brain.
They discuss:
- What an ABR test is
- How ABR testing works
- Why infants and toddlers may need hearing testing
- What happens if a baby fails a newborn hearing screening
- How audiologists measure hearing in babies
- Why sleep is important during testing
- The difference between ABR and otoacoustic emissions testing
- When adults may also need ABR testing
- How early detection can help children with hearing concerns
Early hearing detection is critical for speech, language, and developmental milestones. This segment explains how Valley Health helps families identify hearing concerns early.