40 dBnHL - need hearing aid?

cay12366

The hearing test result for my son is 40 dBnHL.  Does he need hearing aids?  We are referred to 教統局 and they offer to give us a hearing aid for one ear.  Can anyone share if it's necessary to wear hearing aid w/ his level?  If not, would there be big impact?

Sorry I don't know how to type Chinese but I can read.

Thanks for sharing.

cay12366

can someone help?  Thanks.

GabBB

How old is your son?

If he's a baby, then you can wait.  It is because babies are held close to parents and is usually louder.  But you should still consider to follow-up with EDB to get periodic tests to monitor his hearing

原文章由 cay12366 於 08-8-3 12:04 發表
can someone help?  Thanks.

大鴨媽

40分貝suppose是嚴重的,應該要戴耳機.但正常教統局只包一隻,如兩隻耳有問題另一隻要自己去配.

要keep住follow up看下聽力的進展.

你要再等孩子大d再去check下,取多d意見.

原文章由 cay12366 於 08-8-2 13:32 發表
The hearing test result for my son is 40 dBnHL.  Does he need hearing aids?  We are referred to 教統局 and they offer to give us a hearing aid for one ear.  Can anyone share if it's necessary to wear  ...

cay12366

Thanks a lot for your advice.  My son is 13 months old now.  His hearing test is 40 dBnHL.  Doctor told me it's not serious and it's considered a mild hearing loss.  He referred me to EDC.  Now education dept is offering me a hearing aid.  I am not sure if I should let my baby to put hearing aid on now.  They told me once he wears it, he will need to continue to wear it for the rest of his life.

Can you share with me what the impact is?  Is it really good to let him wear it?  Do your child go to normal school?  any impact "socially"?  

Thanks again for your advice.  I worry a lot and am not sure what to do.

大鴨媽

如果要戴耳機當然是早ｄ好．
因為真係有幫助．我的仔都好明顯有進步．

他現在ｎｏｒｍａｌ　ｓｃｈｏｏｌ讀．９月讀小二啦

除了他的弱聽是暫時，否則就永遠要戴耳機．

反而早ｄ讓他在言語上早ｄ去到正常ｌｅｖｅｌ，那他在ｓｏｃｉａｌ上的問題也可以有改善．因為社交上有一環很重要的是與別人溝通啦

原文章由 cay12366 於 08-8-5 15:16 發表
Thanks a lot for your advice.  My son is 13 months old now.  His hearing test is 40 dBnHL.  Doctor told me it's not serious and it's considered a mild hearing loss.  He referred me to EDC.  Now educat ...

icanhear

40分貝是輕度，即只要近距離，同埋環境唔嘈的地方，佢都可以聽到九成的聲音。即係可以講....唔戴機都可以聽到好多....不過有可能一O的尾音係聽唔到的，而聽唔到尾音，可能會令佢語言發展比較慢一點。(當然, 唔會唔識講, 只係可能有O的音會讀得差O的, 或者比同齡的小朋友慢一點。)如果其他方面發展正常，輕度弱聽的小朋友入NORMAL SCHOOL應該無問題。

如果無估錯, 你BB應該係做ABR驗出有弱聽的。我想問你的BB有無做過行為測聽，即係SPEAKER比一些聲音出來，BB望左望右去搵聲...如果無，我建議你去私人聽覺中心做多一次，13個月絕對可以有較可靠的結果，看看現在的聽力如何。而且同時可以問多一個聽力學家的意見...因為講真, 聽力學家的意見會比醫生更深入，因為跟得多一些。

去峰力找甘生吧...說想做行為測聽就行了. 這樣，你亦可以因此取多一份部告，作日後的REFERENCE (EDB的報告是不會比你KEEP的....) ，又可以拎多一個專業意見。如果真的建議你戴機, 應該都是雙耳戴的(如果雙耳聽力一樣的話), 所以還是儘早去峰力吧....

[ 本文章最後由 icanhear 於 08-8-6 19:07 編輯 ]

cay12366

icanhear,

Yes, you are very right.  My son had ABR test at Queen Mary hospital.  Then they referred us to EDC and did the 行為測聽.  Results were the same.  I am not sure whether ABR or 行為測聽 is more accurate.  Mr. Ho at EDC recommended my son to use hearing aid in order to ensure his speech ability.  I consulted private doctor (Dr. Hui Yau) and he said no need to put on hearing aid.  My husband and I are not sure what to do.  Whilst we worry about his speech ability, we honestly do not prefer to put hearing aid on my son unless it's necessary.  I believe all mother here had stuggled the same thing like me before.  Also, my son's problem is inner ear.  So there's nothing we can do except for periodic hearing test to closely monitor his hearing ability.

Thanks very much for your advice.  I will sure contact Mr. Kam at Phonax.

Thanks again!

原文章由 icanhear 於 08-8-6 18:56 發表
40分貝是輕度，即只要近距離，同埋環境唔嘈的地方，佢都可以聽到九成的聲音。即係可以講....唔戴機都可以聽到好多....不過有可能一O的尾音係聽唔到的，而聽唔到尾音，可能會令佢語言發展比較慢一點。(當然, 唔會唔識講, 只係可 ...

GabBB

Yes ...40dB is a mild hearing loss, but it is educationally necessary to wear hearing aids.  ABR is more accurate than behavioral testing (what your son had is called BOA ---behavioral observation audiometry).

Hearing aids are like glasses, if your son is short-sighted, you probably would not give it a second thought and get him glasses.  Hearing aids are the same.

It may not be necessary for hearing aids at this very moment, but your son is missing soft sounds like "s" and "t".  If he is not able to hear them, he cannot say them.  Talk to an audiologist, Phonak, Widex, Melody, Starkey... wherever and whoever you get along best with.  They explain better than an ENT.

Also 40 dB may only be an average.  It could be better or worse in the high frequencies because ABR best represents results from the middle frequencies (pitches) only.

原文章由 cay12366 於 08-8-6 21:41 發表
icanhear,

Yes, you are very right.  My son had ABR test at Queen Mary hospital.  Then they referred us to EDC and did the 行為測聽.  Results were the same.  I am not sure whether ABR or 行為測聽 is  ...

cay12366

GabBB, it's very informative.  so it looks like my son will need to wear hearing aid then.  I am very upset about it but will try to take it positively.  Given his situation, do you think I should consider sending him to international school which may be a bit more open minded?  I worry about his social life.  Anyway, very sad about it......

原文章由 GabBB 於 08-8-7 12:04 發表
Yes ...40dB is a mild hearing loss, but it is educationally necessary to wear hearing aids.  ABR is more accurate than behavioral testing (what your son had is called BOA ---behavioral observation aud ...

icanhear

原文章由 cay12366 於 08-8-7 13:00 發表
GabBB, it's very informative.  so it looks like my son will need to wear hearing aid then.  I am very upset about it but will try to take it positively.  Given his situation, do you think I should con ...

What GaBbb said is right, 40 dBHL is a mild loss, which might really affect your child's speech develpment. But to be specific, you really need to know the full audiogram of the child. 40 dBHL is only an average.

Some child with normal hearing at low freqeuncy, and sloping to a moderate loss at higher frequencies, while others has same level of loss for low and high frequencies. The impact for these two type of loss is different.

In fact, 13 months is old enough to have a reliable result in behavourial test. Your child is old enough to perform VRA (visual reinforcement audiometry) instead of BOA (behavioural observation audiometry), which could give you frequency specific information on the child's hearing. ABR is an objective test for babies who are too young for VRA.

Don't try to push yourself too much with too many unknowns. Do seek for another professional advice as soon as possible.  Look for Mr. Kam, I am sure he would give you a concrete answer.

I found a website describing the effect of mild hearing loss which might give you more information.
https://www.msu.edu/~huffma23/

Hope this could help.

大鴨媽

international school 不一定是ｏｐｅｎ一些．你個小朋友仲細，你是否想得太早啦

不如快ｄ去ｐｈｏｎａｋ找ｍｒ　ｋａｍ做ｔｅｓｔ，取一個比較客觀ｄ的ａｄｖｉｃｅ啦

ｕｐｓｅｔ一定會有

但如果你都不能去面對，你孩子又豈能呢

原文章由 icanhear 於 08-8-7 16:15 發表


What GaBbb said is right, 40 dBHL is a mild loss, which might really affect your child's speech develpment. But to be specific, you really need to know the full audiogram of the child. 40 dBHL is on ...

cay12366

Thanks icanhear.  I have already contacted Mr Kam and arranged a hearing test for my son.  Can you share with me what's VRA and how does it different from BOA?  When I called Phonax, they told me my son will need to take a test when he's sleeping.  I am not sure if they are referring to ABR.

Thanks a lot.

原文章由 icanhear 於 08-8-7 16:15 發表


What GaBbb said is right, 40 dBHL is a mild loss, which might really affect your child's speech develpment. But to be specific, you really need to know the full audiogram of the child. 40 dBHL is on ...

icanhear

BOA is behavioural observation audiometry. It is for babies younger than 9 months. Sounds are played with speakers and baby sit in the middle of two speakers. When sounds are played, audiologist would look for minor responses including stopping of motion, startle, cry, slight muscle movment, or even sucking, and these would be taken as response of sound. This test is rarely used as the result is fairly reliable and the audiologist has to be very experience to take such small cues as response to sound. Usually, ABR would be recommended instead for baby of this age.

VRA is visual reinforcment audiometry.It is suitable for children from approximately 9 months to 1.5 years old. I assume that your child could sit up straight on parent's lap as 13 months old should have good neck muscle development already. Frequency specific tones would be presented through speakers on the right or left side. Audiologist would observe child's head turn or eye movement as response for the sound. And motion toys would be visualized as reward for the reinforcement. So the child would be motivated to response to sound. This test is much more reliable and could be used to validate the result from ABR.

I don't think your child need to be sleeping during the test....but need to be awake instead? You might mention to them you already have ABR done before (ABR is the test need the baby to sleep) and you want the child to do behavioral test instead...?

information for you:
- http://www.audioconsult.com/kidtest.html
- http://www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_misc.jsp?pid=2124

[ 本文章最後由 icanhear 於 08-8-7 20:41 編輯 ]

cay12366

icanhear, thanks again for the detailed explanation.  

Now, I realize the test my son did last week at EDB was VRA then.  He sat on my helper and played.  Then there were sound coming from the left and right speakers.  A toy monkey popped up....

I will talk to Phonax again and let them determine which test is the best for my son.  EDB has offered a hearing aid and I will have the ear mould done at Phonax by Mr. Kam as well.

Thanks a lot for everyone's help and advice here.  I appreciate it.

icanhear

原文章由 cay12366 於 08-8-8 08:33 發表
icanhear, thanks again for the detailed explanation.  

Now, I realize the test my son did last week at EDB was VRA then.  He sat on my helper and played.  Then there were sound coming from the left a ...

Good for you. Good luck!

GabBB

International may not be more open than regular schools.  I would have your options open for all the schools for your son.  It's too soon to think about it now.

If you intervene early (that means wearing hearing aids as the hearing loss dictates), it doesn't matter what school you chooses for your child.  However, if there is a bad high-frequency hearing loss, you may need to think twice before sending him to a school which language (english) has more high-frequency emphasis.  There's pros and cons about choosing local schools and international schools but first you need to know the full audiogram.

Good luck

原文章由 cay12366 於 08-8-8 08:33 發表
icanhear, thanks again for the detailed explanation.  

Now, I realize the test my son did last week at EDB was VRA then.  He sat on my helper and played.  Then there were sound coming from the left a ...