Quick, non-invasive probe measure of cochlear (inner ear) function. During this test, a small probe is place in the baby’s ear and clicks or tones are played and sent from the probe speaker to the ear canal, through the middle ear, and into the cochlea. Outer hair cells in the cochlea become excited and react by generating and emitting an acoustic response. This emitted response then travels in a reverse direction from the cochlea back to the ear canal, where it is detected by the probe microphone. This is not really a test of what the baby hears, it simply tells the doctors whether the hair cells in the ear are functioning within normal limits. A parent of a deaf child might encounter the term Otoacoustic Emissions Testing (OAE) when discussing options for assessing the function of their child’s inner ear.
Has your child or family member been identified as deaf or hard of hearing?