The parents' view on hearing screening in newborns - Feelings, thoughts and opinions on otoacoustic emissions screening

Since September 1995, universal hearing screening of newborns has been carried out at the Linkoping University Hospital with the aid of otoacoustic emissions. The present study is based on interviews with parents in order to get their views on neonatal hearing screening. A total of 49 persons participated in the interviews, the parents of 26 children. A clearly positive attitude to the test was expressed by a majority of parents, and the screening seemed to cause very little anxiety. Parents whose child passed directly, or after one re-test, were very positive to hearing screening. The few parents whose children had to be tested more than twice took a more ambivalent view. Anxiety was evoked when the child did not pass the first retest; this was a critical point. Another important point was when parents finally were given a definite answer as to whether the child had a hearing impairment or not; the anxiety then seemed to fade. These parents need individual counselling and support during the time of audiological assessment, and a plan for future action. From the parents' perspective the advantage of hearing screening is the potential to help and understand their child at the earliest possible time if a hearing impairment is detected.