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ABR Testing for Children

ABR Hearing Tests for Children

If your child is scheduled for an Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test with our pediatric ear, nose & throat (ENT) specialists, read the the following tips and information about how hearing tests work and how to prepare:

Sleep Deprivation

The most accurate results will be obtained if your child is resting peacefully during the test. For this reason, it is important to deprive your child of sleep for about four hours before the test. Try not to feed your child before the test. When you arrive, you can feed your child, which will help him or her fall asleep.

Prior to the test, the audiologist will place electrodes on your child’s head. Your child will not feel anything from these electrodes. Once your child is asleep, the test will begin. The audiologist will insert foam earphones in each of your child’s ears. Then, your child will hear a series of rapid clicks. The clicks will initiate nerve impulses in the auditory brainstem. The electrodes will process these impulses, and the audiologist will estimate your child’s hearing ability from the information received.

If your child has a history of middle ear infections and/or fluid in the ear, all fluid must be removed from the ear before an accurate test can be conducted. Please contact your child’s physician to ensure that he or she is ready to take the test.

In addition, we suggest the following tips to help the test run smoothly:

  • Bring along some of your child’s favorite “nap time” toys (blanket, books, or stuffed animals).
  • On the day of the test, wake your child earlier than his or her usual time.
  • Do not let your child sleep in the car on the way to the appointment. The testing cannot be performed if the child is awake.
  • If you have other children who will need supervision during the test, please bring along another adult to supervise them.
  • ABR testing is only done at our Lake Boone Trail office. 

Download ABR Brochure

Failure to cancel your appointment within 48 hrs will result in a $200 charge.

Please do not hesitate to call our office and speak with one of our audiologists if you have any questions. We want to provide excellent services for our patients; for this reason, we ask our patients not to send their medical questions to us through our social media pages. Patients may send questions via our secure, encrypted server on our patient portal, or they may call our office for assistance.