[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_gap _id=”4″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”5″ ][cs_element_gap _id=”6″ ][cs_element_gap _id=”7″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”8″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”9″ ][cs_element_image _id=”10″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”11″ ][cs_element_text _id=”12″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”13″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”14″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”15″ ][cs_element_text _id=”16″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”17″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”18″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”19″ ][cs_element_text _id=”20″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”21″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”22″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”23″ ][cs_element_text _id=”24″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”25″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”26″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”27″ ][cs_element_text _id=”28″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content][cs_content_seo]First Steps
When a child is born with Microtia and Atresia, families will have questions on what to do next, which medical professionals to see, and what options are currently available for Microtia and Atresia
Newborn Hearing Screening:
After a child is born, before leaving the hospital, a newborn hearing screening should be conducted to detect if hearing loss is present. If hearing loss is detected, your child will “refer” on the screening. At this point, your pediatrician will suggest setting up an appointment with an ENT and an audiologist. The pediatrician may also want to conduct a renal ultrasound and check your child’s heart, as the ear, kidneys and heart develop at the same time, during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Scheduling an appointment with your Audiologist:
Call to schedule an appointment with your audiologist for an ABR hearing test to be conducted.An ABR (Auditory Brain Response) hearing test will measure electronic responses that will be recorded from the hearing nerves and brain of your child helping determine how much of a hearing loss your child has. This test will also verify what type of hearing test your child has. This test typically takes about two hours and can be easily conducted if your child is under the age of six months so they can sleep through the test. If your child will not sleep on his/her own, the medical center can sedate your child for this test. In addition to the ABR test, your audiologist will also conduct other hearing tests such as:
AEP (auditory evoked potential evaluations)
ASSR (auditory steady state response evaluations)
SAT (speech awareness threshold)
VRA (visual reinforcement audiometry)
DP (OAE) and the TE (OAE) which are both auto-acoustic evaluations.
Scheduling an appointment with your ENT:
While most ENTs will know little about Microtia and Atresia, do call to schedule an appointment to have your child examined in general by your local ENT to discuss your child’s hearing loss and helpful options. Your ENT can also make some recommendations on who to see regarding a professional who specializes in Microtia and Atresia care. A CT scan by any professional is discouraged during the early years of age if solely to examine the temporal bone since the study will need to be repeated later in life when discussing surgical options.
Medical professionals and therapists to consider visiting with:
Pediatric Otolaryngologist
Pediatrician
ENT- Otologist/Neurotologist
Audiologist
Craniofacial surgeon
Pediatric oral surgeon
Geneticist
Speech therapist
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