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My son a 25 weeker who is now 2 has just taken a ABR and has come back with heaing loss, but does have usable hearing. I know that my son use to be able to hear but no on can tell me what happened. Anyone have abvice for a greving mother who just wants answers.
Hi,
I am so sorry to hear this news. It is such a scary thing to go through. We had some scares with hearing with one of our girls recently. She had lots of testing, including the ABR. Fortunately, in our case she passed. My understanding with the ABR testing...was that it isn't that they can hear the sounds, it is more the way what they hear gets to the brain. Basically, how the brain processes what (the sound) they are hearing. That is how they explained it to us, before she was tested, etc. I am interested to hear how they explained things to you. Sometimes hearing loss is attributed to lots of ear infections and/or a ruptured ear drum or trauma to the ear, but I am not sure that applies with the ABR type hearing loss??? I will also say that during all this testing for one of my daughters, we found that I had significant hearing loss in both ears. I was pretty devastated. We have not been able to figure out a cause for it. We don't know if it will get worse (which terrifies me!!) or if it is something that I can pass to my girls (which terrifies me too!!). It is a pretty scary situation. I know you must be so worried about your son. I wish I had some great information on the subject. The doctors gave no indication of what they think might have caused the issue? Will it get worse. If it is the way the brain processes the sound...what does that mean for the future? I don't have any answers for you, but I wanted to at least offer some support:) This was a very scary experience for us with our daughter and turned out to be a very scary thing for me (something else to worry about:). I feel for you. Hang in there!!!! :)
So scarey, we have been on a roller coaster ride with both of our twins as well. I ended up getting another opinoin. My one son has tubes in his ears not cause of ear infections, but to help. Just ask lots of questions. Good Luck!
Hi - I can only imagine how scared you are feeling right now. I would be curious to hear more details regarding the testing results. While I am not familiar with the ABR test one of my 26 wkr twins started 'failing' hearing tests at age 6. She is part of a preemie study and that is the first time that she failed a hearing test. We took her for a full hearing test. She does have mild hearing loss but it is in a range that does not impact her speech. The doctor recommended that she sit in the front of her class at school but overall she doesn't seem impacted by her hearing loss. She can struggle hearing people on the telephone and hearing our cats purr. The doctor said part of the middle ear may not be formed correctly but the risk of surgery is too great.
I share my story because hearing loss can mean so many different things. I would ask more questions and find out the next level of testing.
In my daughter's case I would guess that the hearing loss was always there but just went undetected since she didn't have speech delays. Has anyone evaluated your son's ears to ensure he doesn't have any fluid? That can impact his hearing.
Best wishes to you.
If there wasn't a second hearing test done be sure to insist because sometimes there are false positives. Also make sure you follow up with a Ears, Nose and Throat specialist because the cause could be as simple as fluid where tubes would drain and hearing returned.
1st, get a second opinion. My son failed multiple hearing test, and finally they put him under, and he passed with flying colors. That was also once he was off o2.
However, the lady who did the test said that later in life, which could be 1 year, 6 months, 4 years, 20 years, he could run into hearing problems. There are certain medications that actually effect their hearing. It doesnt mean that it effects them right away, but it can develop over time. Which is also why the doctor pre-hearing test, might ask about certain medications your baby had gotten in the NICU.
Hearing loss that comes later in life, isnt as bad as starting out without hearing. Because your child does get language development and will have a easier time in some ways, with verbally expressing themselves. It might feel like the end of the world. But at the end of the day, you were given life. I remind myself of this often, when we have set backs. I am just so happy to have my son. I would take him deaf, blind, or however. Just having him here is enough for me. Sometimes when you get bad news, it is hard to see past that tho.
~Heather
Hi,
I just wanted to correct my previous posting..."My understanding with the ABR testing...was that it isn't that they can hear the sounds, it is more the way what they hear gets to the brain" - I meant to say "...CAN'T hear the sounds..." :) Sorry!
Any new news on your little ones hearing?? Hope today finds you feeling a little better about things:)
They just told me that the brain is not recieving sound on the left side and there is no usable hearing, per the ABR. He just can't hear on that side. The right side has usable hearing and can be helped by the a hearing aid but a heaing aid will not help the lefttside. That is how they explained it to me. I am still with no answers. He has had to booth hearing test since and they register hearing in both ears, the audiologist from three different offices are stumped. More questions than answers at this point. We will see the ENT and the Audiologist. He is being fitted for heating aid soon.
My son was born last November at 24 weeks. He failed his newborn screening and we did the ABR and there was no response from either ear with that test. We are now waiting to be evaluated for a cochlear implant.
I've found out that there are so many reasons why he could have lost his hearing. We swear he could hear in the beginning. But the things that could have caused or contributed to his hearing loss are: extreme prematurity, IVH, being on the ventilator for an extended time, and certain medications that can cause hearing loss. I don't think we will ever know what caused it.
I would talk to an Ent about putting tubes in my child's ear .My son has a 20% hearing loss and putting tubes in his ears are helping .The are not a garantee but they may Help ....
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