Patient's question:
From the moment of birth, I noticed that the baby would never react to any sound, including harsh noises. Now that the baby is three and a half months old, if I call his name when he's out of sight, he doesn't respond at all, nor would he ever seek out the source of the sound. He has had pathological jaundice and postpartum...Doctor's answer:
Narrate that your child may have hearing problems, which is mainly related to pathological jaundice. Neonatal jaundice is very harmful to the patient. A large number of clinical trials have confirmed that newborns with bilirubin levels below the warning line have abnormal brainstem auditory evoked potentials in more than 90% of cases. The test also confirmed that pathological jaundice is positively correlated with the incidence of diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning difficulties, and coordination disorders in children. The greatest harm of neonatal jaundice is the occurrence of bilirubin encephalopathy, which inhibits the brain tissue's utilization of oxygen and leads to brain damage.Neonatal hearing screening is implemented using electrophysiological techniques such as auditory brainstem response, otoacoustic emissions, and acoustic impedance in a natural deep sleep or quiet state after the newborn is born. It is an objective, rapid, and non-invasive examination. Generally, the test can be completed in just 5 to 10 minutes. Neonates should undergo initial hearing screening within 48 hours after birth. Those who fail the initial screening should undergo a hearing re-examination around 42 days. If the re-examination at 42 days is still unsuccessful, a confirmatory hearing test should be performed around 3 months. Children diagnosed with hearing loss should be promptly referred to a specialized hospital for additional medical intervention.
At around 2 months of age, there may be a lot of secretions in the child's ear. Failing the hearing screening does not necessarily mean the child has an ear problem. However, it should still attract the attention of the parents. If the screening is still unsuccessful around 3 months, it is necessary to seek timely re-examination at a specialized hospital.