Paediactric Audiology is the study of hearing, balance, and related disorders in children and young people.
Medical staff refers children to Audiology to establish whether they have a hearing impairment that could impact communication and to monitor hearing levels when medication is given that can affect hearing.
Establishing the level and type of hearing loss is important when deciding between management options such as watchful waiting, surgery, hearing aids, and cochlear implants.
Contact us
Call this line if you have a query about your child’s stay in the hospital such as date of admission.
CHI at Crumlin Audiology
Tel: (01) 4096345
CHI at Temple Street Audiology
Tel: (01) 878 4533
Our services
Types of Hearing Tests
The tests we use to assess hearing depend on the child’s developmental age.
Children over 3 years of age will usually carry out a task when they hear a sound, for example putting a hoop on a stick.
When babies are above 7 months of age, their head turns to sound are used to assess hearing. The baby’s interest in the test sounds are reinforced by a toy being illuminated when they give a head turn to the sound.
We can also objectively detect responses to sound from the hearing system in 2 ways:
by placing a microphone in the ear, which can detect sound being emitted by a working inner ear (Otoacoustic Emission testing)
by placing sticky sensors on a child’s head when they are asleep (young babies e.g. following bacterial meningitis), or when they are under general anaesthetic (e.g. for children that are not developing speech), which can pick up changes in brainwave activity (Auditory Brainstem Response testing)
CHI Audiology also provides a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) service. Because a BAHA works by delivering sound directly to the inner ear by by-passing the outer and middle ear, it is often a good option for children that are born without ear canals and for children that are prone to persistently discharging ears.
A patient may be referred by registered medical practitioners within Children's Health Ireland with the knowledge and consent of the Consultant-in-Charge of the patient.
A patient may be referred by registered medical practitioners within Children's Health Ireland with the knowledge and consent of the Consultant-in-Charge of the patient.
