Pure-tone Audiometry Versus Otoacoustic Emissions for Preschool Hearing Screening
What is the research about?
Screening children early for hearing loss can help prevent speech and language delays. Doctors test children for hearing loss at birth and around ages four to six. But speech and language delays can develop quickly between birth and age four. Screening children at preschool can help identify hearing loss during this time.
The most common screening test for hearing loss is pure tone testing. In this test, a child responds to hearing a sound; for example, they may raise their hand. But some children have trouble understanding the instructions and can’t take part in the test correctly. For these children, doctors can use the otoacoustic emissions, or OAE, test. The OAE test measures vibrations of hair cells in the inner ear when responding to a sound. OAE testing doesn’t require the child to respond to a sound. OAE is effective as a second screening test for children who can’t complete pure tone testing. But doctors don’t know how well OAE works on its own to screen children for hearing loss.
In this study, the research team is looking to see if screening with OAE alone is no worse than screening with pure tone plus OAE to identify hearing loss in preschool children.
Who can this research help?
Results may help preschools and national organizations with a focus on children’s health when considering ways to screen children for hearing loss.
What is the research team doing?
The research team is enrolling 28,000 preschool students in Northern California. All children receive both the pure tone and OAE hearing tests. After all children have been screened, the team is assigning children by chance to one of two groups.
For the first group, the research team is looking at results from the OAE test only. Children who pass this test have no follow-up. Children who don’t pass receive a referral to their primary care provider.
For the second group, the research team is looking at results from the pure tone test first. If the child passes the pure tone test, then the team isn’t looking at the results from the OAE test. If the child doesn’t pass or can’t respond to the pure tone test, then the team is looking at the results from the OAE test. Children who don’t pass the OAE test receive a referral to their primary care provider.
Six months after screening, the research team is reviewing health records to see if children:
- Receive a referral
- Have hearing loss, and if so, the type of hearing loss
- Receive treatment for hearing loss
Parents of children with hearing loss, preschool hearing screening programs, doctors, and members of national organizations are helping to plan and conduct this study.
Research Methods at a Glance
Study Details
Status: Recruiting
Start Date: October 2023
Completion Date: February 2028 (estimated)
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06058767