Background and Identification
Infant hearing screeners are used to detect hearing loss. There are two different types of infant hearing screeners: Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) and Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE).
In an AABR test, a pair of headphones is placed over the baby’s ears, and a sound is emitted. A set of electrodes is attached to the baby’s head to measure brain response from the sound.
In an OAE test, a small device is placed into the infant’s ear canal to measure the inner ear's response to sound.
Additional Information
CDC: Newborn Hearing Screening
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Hearing Screening