An invention out of Melbourne is helping babies born deaf or hard of hearing by quickly identifying the brain’s response to sounds, helping doctors best recommend treatment.
The EarGenie was developed by Melbourne’s famous Bionics Institute, the organisation behind the cochlear implant.
The device uses lights to measure the brain’s response to noise and crucially identifies whether the baby can distinguish between sounds.
Lead researcher Professor Colette McKay said that information was crucial because babies needed to possess that skill to develop speech.
“We can tell if a baby’s hearing aid is actually allowing them to learn how to talk,” McKay told 9News.
Current newborn hearing tests can only tell the severity of the problem but the EarGenie allows audiologists to ensure patients are fitted with the best devices.
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That breakthrough is vital considering every week of delay been diagnosis and proper treatment can have a lifelong impact on speech.
The EarGenie is the beneficiary of a $500,000 investment from the Victorian government and today Minister for Medical Research Mary-Anne Thomas told 9News the hearing test has “life changing and profound potential”.
“The earlier we can intervene in a child’s development, the better the outcomes,” Thomas said.
The device will be trialled at select clinics within months.
Babies with normal hearing or a hearing deficit are able to be tested as part of the research.
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