Hearing Aid Fitting in Infants: Practical Considerations and Challenges

The diagnosis and early management of hearing loss in infancy requires a team approach that involves the audiologist, otolaryngologist, habilitation specialists, the pediatrician or family physician, and the active participation of parents and other family members. The program described in this chapter is based in an academic medical center where a team of pediatric audiologists, otolaryngologists, and habilitation specialists is currently following approximately 1000 young children with hearing aids and cochlear implants, including over 100 infants fitted with amplification under the age of six months. This chapter will focus primarily on the initial fitting of hearing aids in young infants identified through newborn hearing screening. Practical issues will be examined along with the many challenges that arise in serving this population.