Testing for deafness

It is important that children who are deaf are diagnosed as early as possible. Once they are diagnosed, they can get the help they need to learn to communicate. Hearing is especially important because, as a baby grows into a child, listening to people is usually the way they learn most of all – until they learn to read and write

In some countries, hearing is tested as soon as a baby is born. In other places, a baby may only be tested if there were difficulties during the birth or if the baby was born very early and is quite small. Hearing tests are also done when babies and young children have their standard health check-ups. Doctors or health visitors do simple checks at first. Then, if they spot a problem, they send the child to see a specialist.

It is possible to test the hearing of babies as young as one day old. It does not bother them. Some babies even sleep through the test!

Testing for deafness