# Hearing loss due to premature birth



## Mumof42009

Seems ages since i posted in here but haven't been around much due to having few problems. 
I found out today that Adi has hearing loss in his left ear they think this is down to him being born early and lack of oxygen i feel like crap because i agreed for them to deliver me early because of placenta abruption but now i keep thinking if i hadnt of had him when i did would he have the problems that he has such as his hearing,intorence to dairy and his bad eczema, then on the other hand if i hadn't of had him when i did i could of lost him :cry:
He was born later than the girls but had more problems than them :cry:


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## Marleysgirl

Wow. I can't believe I just read your post. Andrew also has a hearing loss due to prematurity!

He had the standard "newborn" hearing test whilst on NICU, and the results were inconclusive. So at the start of December we attended the hospital's Audiology department for extensive testing (took about three hours), and they have identified "sensori-neural hearing" problems in both ears, but more substantially in the left ear ... I've just looked it up on the letter, and he has "Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder". Basically the results of the test showed that the cochlea in both ears is working well but that the hearing nerve is not working properly.

I shall quote from the letter: _"For a very small number of children, things can improve over time and sometimes we see this for children who are born prematurely."_ So things are not yet cut-and-dried. Andrew returns for the same tests to be carried out in February, and then for different tests (with eye & movement responses) in mid-summer.

We know that Andrew does have some hearing as he responds ("startles") to noise, and we think this may be improving, although it could be wishful thinking on our part.

So we are currently in limbo, not knowing the extent of his hearing difficulties. We haven't really changed our behaviour, although we do tend to make the effort to have face-to-face contact with him rather than talking to him from a distance. I have started making enquiries about baby signing classes.

The main practical thing I'd tell you (other than not to worry, and simply continue to love your baby like mad!!!) is that you can now submit a claim for DLA! We submitted on the basis of the hearing problems, with the Audiology team as the professional contact; we said that we would need to spend more time with our baby in face-to-face contact and that as he grew up, he wouldn't necessarily be able to hear any warning shouts so we would need to take "extra" care of him. We also said that we'd attend baby signing, and purchase toys of a visual nature rather than audio nature. I expected to get lowest rate but we've just been awarded the middle rate care allowance.

[Please nobody shoot me for considering this important - we're broke and every penny counts!]

[Angel/Tia (sorry can't remember your BnB name!) this is to stay OFF MSE, thanks!]


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## Mumof42009

Thanks so much thats the same as Adi has got but they wont know how bad it is until they test him when he is around 8 months corrected they said his hearing in his right ear is fine its just his left ear but i realised he couldn't hear me as well in that ear as he doesn't respond as well when i talk to him that side.
Are they going to re-test Andrew when he is older?


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## Marleysgirl

Andrew will undergo what they describe as "behavioural" tests when he is 6-8 months corrected (so, mid-summer). Apparently they play noises and see whether he turns in the direction or looks at the source of the sound. This will give them a better idea of the extent of the hearing loss. 

In Andrew's case, they suspect that he's receiving some sound but it's too jumbled to differentiate, rather than not hearing anything. He doesn't really respond to us talking at normal volume, but then he's an extreme preemie and is taking much longer to show any kinds of normal development. 

We've been optimistic throughout this pregnancy (1 in 5 chance of Downs), emergency delivery (11 weeks early, weighed 1lb 6oz) and his time in NICU (almost came home on O2), we're trying to remain optimistic that his hearing is late in developing. It's not really affecting us at this time - we still have a beautiful little baby boy who adores being cuddled :kiss:


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## amy2boys

My ds2 was born 14 wks (pos 16wks) early due to placenta abruption and at nearly 2yrs has had 3 tests for hearing. But this is not due to lack of oxygen (that usually affects eyesight rather than hearing) but the strong dose of anti-biotics he had when he had an infection (gentamicin) 
The hearing tests are so silly, like pp said they have to turn thier head to look when played a sound. But if baby is hungry/tired/upset or just playing up they don't get any correct results. Each tests is approx 45mins, and you have to sit baby still on the end of your knees. You have to have at least 4-5 tests just to get some results. It is becoming a joke. We have been told he has 'glue ear' but they need to keep doing these tests to make sure. Have no idea when it will end. . .


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## Marleysgirl

That's interesting about the antibiotics, Amy, as Andrew had IV antibiotics whilst on the unit. All we've been told is that it sometimes happens with preemies, but not exactly why, the implication was just under-development.

The first tests were hard enough - baby had to be "settled", but their idea of settled didn't match ours! Their idea of settled was comatose, we tried to explain that Andrew was already more calm & immobile that we'd ever seen him, but still they waited ... I couldn't have done it, only my OH can get Andrew that calm.


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## MUMOF5

Evie has a hearing test on Monday due to her having gentamicin (sp?) at birth for an infection also. Its a very strong antibiotic, and whilst our babys who were given it in NICU/SCBU docs/nurses would have been doing regular blood test to check their 'gent' levels, as although its a very good broad spectrum antibiotic, its also quite toxic, hard for the body to break down and a small chance that it can cause deafness in babies. I think that hearing tests for babies that were given it are standard procedure, certainly in our health authority anyway. xx


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## Mamafy

My son was born at 28 weeks, failed his hearing test was retested at 8 months and failed that as well, he never responded at all to them. They took him back at nearly a year and he passed it all :)


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## Mumof42009

Marleysgirl said:


> Andrew will undergo what they describe as "behavioural" tests when he is 6-8 months corrected (so, mid-summer). Apparently they play noises and see whether he turns in the direction or looks at the source of the sound. This will give them a better idea of the extent of the hearing loss.
> 
> In Andrew's case, they suspect that he's receiving some sound but it's too jumbled to differentiate, rather than not hearing anything. He doesn't really respond to us talking at normal volume, but then he's an extreme preemie and is taking much longer to show any kinds of normal development.
> 
> We've been optimistic throughout this pregnancy (1 in 5 chance of Downs), emergency delivery (11 weeks early, weighed 1lb 6oz) and his time in NICU (almost came home on O2), we're trying to remain optimistic that his hearing is late in developing. It's not really affecting us at this time - we still have a beautiful little baby boy who adores being cuddled :kiss:

Thanks thats the same test Adi has got to have as well, i was told by the man who carried out the test it could be a fluid build up or could be the nerve has been damaged. Its interesting about the antibiotics cause Adi was on them 4 times due to the allergic reactions to milk he kept having so maybe that couldve been whats caused this.


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## Marleysgirl

We have our first outpatient appt with the paediatrician in January (same consultant who looked after Andrew on NICU) so I think I'll be asking what kind of antibiotic he received whilst on the unit, in case it's the same stuff.


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## ALI

Our Princess has moderate hearing loss and has worn hearing aids since February 2008 at 7 months old as she was tested early on. 

It is believed the hearing loss is due to the hair filaments in her ears being damaged by the antibiotics she was on for the first 8 weeks of her life but they saved her life, and it does not seem any worse to me than my having to wear contact lenses or glasses as i am very short sighted.

Anyway she will not know anything different and Technology will probably have advanced enough by the time she is 20 so there will be some kind of implant or operation to cure the hearing loss. The yare already investigating stem cell Technology at Shefflied University to be able to implant and grow new ear hairs , which would cure her deafness. When I was born Eye Laser treatment was fiction.

NB If anyone is getting Disability Living allowance for their child, as we are, you can get both Loft and Cavity Wall insulation installed for free, ours will be done in a few weeks. !


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## Marleysgirl

ALI said:


> NB If anyone is getting Disability Living allowance for their child, as we are, you can get both Loft and Cavity Wall insulation installed for free, ours will be done in a few weeks. !

Good point. Mind you, we had ours done two weeks ago because our local Council is paying for this for rented accommodation for anyone with kids under five!


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## aliss

I'm not a preemie mom BUT I was born with similar hearing loss :blush:

I failed all my hearing tests up until around 5 years old when I had good cochlear implants placed in :thumbup: Be optimistic moms! Although my hearing is not as good as the average person, it has never interfered in my abilities to make friends, finish university, etc. I got my surgery in 1989 so I'm sure it has advanced incredibly since then as well.

Interestingly enough, my first memories are from the hearing tests. Where I live, the "testing booth" is shaped like a train and had toys.


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## mommy43

my daughter is nearly 16 born at 27 weeks due to plancental abruption she has complete deafness in left hear n partial in her right she passed her hearling tests as a baby n it was finally diagnosed at age 7 they believe she learnt to use the right ear to make up for her left n was deaf from birth only in the left ear her right was above average n has only deteriorated in the last few yrs her speech is perfect n it was by chance (she passed the fone when given to her right ear) i queried it with doctors shes still being investigated by a specialist as to why shes loosing the hearing in her right ear but the left is nerve damage n they say an implant or aid wont help as she has no hearing at all but she does have one in the right


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