Hello friends,
This happened a couple of days ago and i thought i must share it with you.
BERA (Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry) is many times used for determining the extent of hearing loss in peadiatric patients and is also an important tool in test battery for diagnostic purposes. the procedure requires the child to be sedated before the electrodes are placed.
HOwever of late this has been widely misused by vested interests and put forth as a money making machine. A client of mine whom i had tranferred to another professional due to unavoidable reasons was a recent victim of such gimmics. The child in question is hyperactive with mental retardation. The therapist instead of catering to her speech-language status, insisted on getting her hearing status "confirmed " by BERA test. The child was tried sedation but it dint work and finally after gruelling attempts to try to make her sleep were in vain, the parents were charged a whooping Rs 3000/- I question: was this test needed? why was it even attempted?
In yet another instance, a Cerebral palsied child with a birth hisotry of severe kernicterus (jaundice) was fitted with strong hearing aids (worth Rs 1 lakh). On performing a BOA (behavioral audiometry), it turned out the child had normal hearing. I repeated the tests thrice and the child consistently responded to normal levels. From then on it was a struggle for the parents to get back the money!! (they eventually got it after 3 months and after threatening the dispencer with media interference)
At this stage i only want to point. BERA is NOT a test of hearing. It should be a part of the test battery. Hearing aids for children should be fitted only when the complete test battery is indicative of hearing loss.
UPDATE ON THAT CHILD:
I repeated this child's hearing test and now that his neck-control is much better, he gave me very good neck turning responses for sound and speech. The icing on the cake is he has started to speak in monosyllabic words, further strengthning the normal hearing diagnosis.
The point to draw home here is, the parents had to undergo undue anxiety (added to already existing ones) due to misdiagnosis. I wish the earlier guys had performed the test battery and observed the child .... this would have prevented all the heart burn. BUt then, 'better late than never'............
In yet another instance, a Cerebral palsied child with a birth hisotry of severe kernicterus (jaundice) was fitted with strong hearing aids (worth Rs 1 lakh). On performing a BOA (behavioral audiometry), it turned out the child had normal hearing. I repeated the tests thrice and the child consistently responded to normal levels. From then on it was a struggle for the parents to get back the money!! (they eventually got it after 3 months and after threatening the dispencer with media interference)
At this stage i only want to point. BERA is NOT a test of hearing. It should be a part of the test battery. Hearing aids for children should be fitted only when the complete test battery is indicative of hearing loss.
UPDATE ON THAT CHILD:
I repeated this child's hearing test and now that his neck-control is much better, he gave me very good neck turning responses for sound and speech. The icing on the cake is he has started to speak in monosyllabic words, further strengthning the normal hearing diagnosis.
The point to draw home here is, the parents had to undergo undue anxiety (added to already existing ones) due to misdiagnosis. I wish the earlier guys had performed the test battery and observed the child .... this would have prevented all the heart burn. BUt then, 'better late than never'............
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