What a failed ABR hearing test can mean

An auditory brainstem response test records how the hearing nerve and brain pathways respond to sound. Movement, unsettled sleep, electrical interference, fluid behind the eardrum or blocked earwax can make a recording difficult to interpret. A result may therefore mean that the screen could not obtain a clear response, rather than proving a permanent problem. The child's age, health, birth history and other hearing observations help guide the next assessment.

Keep the recommended appointment with audiology or an ear, nose and throat service. The next step may be a repeat ABR under suitable conditions, a behavioural hearing assessment when development allows, or an ear examination. Bring the report and mention responses to voices, feeding sounds, speech development, ear infections and any family history of hearing difficulty. Do not place objects in the ear.

Seek prompt medical advice if there is sudden hearing change, severe ear pain, discharge, fever, marked dizziness, facial weakness or a child who is difficult to rouse. Follow-up remains important even when the child seems to respond to some sounds, because different pitches and ears can be affected differently.

Ask whether the ABR was complete, what may have interfered with it, which test comes next, whether earwax or middle-ear fluid is present, and how hearing will be monitored during speech and language development.