Paediatric Audiology
Paediatric Audiology undertakes assessments for all hearing related concerns in children between birth and 18 years old. We provide hearing aids and support for any hearing impairment found and work closely with both Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) and Paediatrics when required for further management or diagnosis.
We are a small team with years of experience in testing and management of childhood hearing loss and are based out of the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax and Acre Mills Outpatients in Huddersfield with occasional outreach clinics at Todmorden Health Centre.
Referrals
Paediatric Audiology accepts referrals from many sources including:
- General Practioners
- Practice nurses
- Health visitors
- School nurses
If you have any concerns regarding your child's hearing, please contact one of the above for advice.
We aim to see your child within 6 weeks of their referral for an initial appointment either at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax or at Acre Mills outpatients in Huddersfield.
What to expect at your child's first appointment?
Initial Assessment
In your child's initial assessment you may see one or two members of our team who are specially trained to test children's hearing.
We will ask some questions about your child's hearing, medical history and any family history of hearing loss.
The hearing test will be carried out in a soundproof room - if it is possible, please avoid bringing any other children to the appointment.
We select the most appropriate hearing test for your child based on their developmental age, medical history and upon our inital meeting.
Types of hearing tests
Visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA)
Play Audiometry
Pure Tone Audiometry
Tympanometry
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs)
Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
In your child's appointment, we will discuss the hearing test results and potential treatment options, such as monitoring their hearing, prescribing a hearing aid if suitable or a referral onto other specialists/health professionals.
Rearranging or cancelling your child's appointment
If you are unable to attend the appointment on day and time given, please contact the department as soon as possible to rearrange or cancel.
We advise that you keep appointment times whenever possible, as the rescheduled appointment date can be up to 6 weeks later.
CONTACT US
Telephone: 01484 343 500
Email: paediatricaudiology@cht.nhs.uk
Hearing aid support
If your child has been fitted with hearing aids they will receive regular appointments to review their hearing and check their hearing aids.
If there are any issues with your child's hearing aids please contact us so we can arrange an appointment.
To order batteries please fill in this form or contact us.
CONTACT US
Telephone: 01484 343 500
Email: paediatricaudiology@cht.nhs.uk
Newborn Hearing Screening
Newborn Hearing Screening in Halifax and Huddersfield
All babies born in the Halifax and Huddersfield area are routinely offered a newborn hearing screening shortly after birth.This is important as it helps identify hearing loss early. Early identification allows for intervention to support development of speech, language and communication skills. If your baby is born in hospital, the screening is usually carried out before you are discharged, otherwise it will be offered as an outpatient appointment within 3-4 weeks.
Types of Hearing Tests
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Test
This is a quick and automatic hearing check. A soft tipped earpiece is gently placed in your baby’s ear which then plays a series of clicking sounds. The test measures how the inner ear responds to sound and only takes a few minutes. It is not always possible to get clear responses form the 1st test. This happens with lots of babies and does not always mean your baby has a permanent hearing loss. In these cases your baby would be offered a second test, this may be the same as the first test or another test called the automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) may be carried out.
Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) Test.
The AABR test involves placing 3 small sensors on your baby’s head and neck. Soft earphones are placed over your baby's ears while gentle clicks are played through headphones. This test takes around 5 to 15 minutes and checks how the hearing nerve and brain respond to sound. These tests will not harm your baby in any way.
If the results do not show a clear response, you may be invited back for another screening or referred to an Audiologist. If so, an appointment will be arranged for you.
Need to Get in Touch?
If you have any questions for the Newborn Hearing Screening team or need to reschedule an appointment, please call 01422 222124
Please see the NHS newborn hearing screening page for more details.
Methods of Testing
Visual Reinforcement Audiometry
Visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) is usually used to test hearing in children from the developmental age of approximately 8 months up to 2.5 years old.
During the test, your child will sit on your lap or a chair while sounds are presented. Your child will be taught to link the sound to a visual reward such as a toy or computer screen lighting up.
Once your child is able to associate the sound and the visual reward the volume and pitch of the sound will be varied to determine the quietest sounds your child is able to hear.
Play Audiometry
Play Audiometry is a test designed for young children, typically between the developmental ages of 2.5 to 5 years old.
This type of test involves a game-like approach to gain a response to a sound, for example, placing a toy in a box when a sound is heard. There will be a member of staff helping your child understand this game before testing begins.
The sounds presented during this test will either be presented through speakers into the room or through headphones.
Once your child is able to associate the sound with the required action the volume and pitch of the sound will be varied to determine the quietest sounds your child is able to hear.
Pure Tone Audiometry
Pure tone audiometry (PTA) is a test suited for children of a developmental age of approximately 6 and above.
Pure tone audiometry in children involves presenting sounds through headphones or insert earphones and your child will press a button each time they hear a sound.
During this test we play sounds of varying loudness and pitch.The test helps us to determine the quietest sounds your child can hear at different frequencies.
Tympanometry
Tympanometry is a test that assesses both the health and function of the middle ear. This test measures how the eardrum moves in response to changes in air pressure.
This test is performed by placing a small probe into your child's ear for a few seconds.
Otoacoustic Emissions
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs) is an automatic hearing check that could be used during your child's appointment if required.
This test is performed by placing a soft earphone which emits clicks into the child's ear. These sounds travel through the middle ear to the cochlea, the organ responsible for hearing. If the sound reaches the hair cells in the cochlea and they are functioning properly, they react by sending a sound back to the ear canal. A microphone then detects this response.
Auditory Brainstem Response
An Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) is a test of used to assess hearing in infants and young children who cannot participate in traditional hearing tests.
An ABR requires no physical response from the child, it is a test which measures how well sound travels from the ear to the brainstem. This is done by recording brain wave activity in response to sound.
Terminology
Sensorineural hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a permanent hearing loss where the root cause lies with the inner ear or the hearing nerve.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss is a type of hearing loss that occurs when sound cannot travel through the outer or middle ear to reach the inner ear due to problems such as blockages, ear infections, fluid or structural abnormalities.
