Manchester University research gives new hope to parents of hearing impaired babies

Parents of newborns with hearing loss could soon have reassurance that hearing aids are helping with the condition thanks to work by Manchester University scientists.

Researchers travelled across the UK to test 103 babies aged three to seven months.

The Cortical Auditory Evoked Potential test -  or Cortical test - was used to determine whether they could hear speech through their aids.

In almost all of the children tested it showed a positive response to speech played through the baby's hearing aids when the child could hear the speech at a clear level.

Manchester University lecturer and lead author Anisa Visram, says, "One in a 1,000 babies are born with hearing loss and go on to have hearing aids fitted in the first months of life.

"The problem is, it's not until they are around seven to nine months old at the earliest when we can use traditional tests of hearing.

"This can leave parents concerned about whether or not their babies are hearing the sounds the hearing aids are providing.

"However, our findings show the Cortical Auditory Evoked Potential test can help reassure parents about how babies are hearing through their hearing aids."

The cortical test has already been used in Australia.

But working in collaboration with Danish researchers the Manchester team developed a new system using different types of sound stimuli. They also showed the benefit of repeat testing to improve its sensitivity.

In the test brain activity in response to sound is measured.

Though all newborn babies have their hearing tested researchers say there is currently no reliable way of testing how well babies are hearing through their hearing aids between the ages of three and seven months.

Marsha Johnson, a parent who took part in the study, says, "Having the research van come to our home has been hugely beneficial.

"When Logan was only a baby, having to disrupt his routine to attend the hospital was a nightmare. So having the ladies come to me and work around us was amazing.

"The project itself means so much to me as hearing loss in our family is hereditary, so this research will help massively not only for the future of infants with hearing loss but my son also."

Kevin Munro, professor of audiology at The University of Manchester says, "The ability to treat and diagnose hearing loss from an early age is partly down to the research we carried out at Manchester over the last few decades.

"Now we think it's likely audiologists will be able to test how well a baby is hearing through their hearing aid during that crucial period from between three and seven months where no testing is currently available.

"Not only does this give parents the reassurance their child's hearing aid is working, but also in instances when the babies are still not hearing despite the hearing aids, it will set in motion the process of cochlear implantation more quickly."

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