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How are newborns screened for hearing loss using otoacoustic emissions?
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ear disease
Structure of the human ear.
Newborns are screened for hearing loss using otoacoustic emissions by measuring a small amount of sound naturally generated by a healthy cochlea.
During this clinical procedure, a small, sensitive microphone is placed in the infant's ear canal to detect these emissions. Because a healthy ear produces these sounds, the presence of an emission indicates normal cochlear function. If no otoacoustic emission is recorded, further testing—such as auditory brainstem response—may be conducted to estimate hearing sensitivity by measuring electrical potentials in the brain.1