What Is an ABR?

The Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Evaluation shows how well the signal from the inner ear travels to the brain. It tells us how loud a sound needs to be for your child to hear it. However, the test does not tell us how well your child understands what he or she hears.

View our flyer about the ABR Evaluation with Sedation. (PDF)

Why Does My Child Need an ABR?

Your child was referred to our facility by his/her primary care physician or specialist with concerns regarding your child’s hearing. An ABR is recommended if the child is chronologically or developmentally too young for behavioral testing. An ABR with sedation is scheduled after unsuccessful attempt(s) have been made by an audiologist to test your child behaviorally. Also your physician may request an ABR due to your child’s developmental delays. Detection of hearing loss should occur as early in life as possible. A child who has a hearing loss/deafness may have difficulty developing language skills or may not do well in school. The sooner a child’s hearing loss is identified, the sooner help can be provided for your child.

Why Does My Child Need to Be Sedated?

For the ABR test, your child must be asleep. Any movement, including the eyes, will interfere with the test results. Most children are unable to sleep on demand therefore; an ABR with sedation is required.

What Do I Need to Do to Prepare for the ABR?

Please contact the office staff for specific fastings times for your child.

The pediatric nurse from the Ambulatory Care Unit (ACU) department will call you the night before the appointment to answer any questions you may have regarding the anesthesia precautions.

How Long Will the Procedure Take?

The ABR will take approximately one hour. However, because your child will be sedated please prepare to be at the hospital for a total of 3 ½ to 4 hours.

What Will Happen When I Arrive At the Hospital?

When you arrive at the hospital you will check in at the Pediatric Audiology/Rehabilitation Services Center in Building E at Sutter Memorial Hospital for registration. After you are registered, the audiologist will take you and your child to the Audiology Lab and perform a tympanogram. This test will assess the status of the eardrum. Next, the audiologist will escort you and your child to the Ambulatory Care Unit in the hospital. There your child will have his/her vitals checked. The nurse or a member from Child Life will explain the process to you for the sedation. You may remain with your child until he or she is ready for sedation. We will then move your child to the room in which the testing will occur.

How Is the ABR Done?

The audiologist will place small earphones in your child’s ears then play a variety of sounds through the earphones. If your child can hear the sounds, electrical signals will travel from the ear through your child’s auditory (hearing) pathway. The electrodes pick up these signals and relay them along the electrode wires to the computer. This procedure is painless to your child.

What Happens After the Test?

After the test, the audiologist will explain the results to you and suggest when and if a return visit is needed. If a hearing loss is detected, you will be referred to special programs and community resources. Please be aware that your child may experience redness from the process of scrubbing the child’s forehead, in order to attach the electrodes during testing. The redness should disappear shortly after the procedure.

The audiologist will send you a written copy of the results approximately two weeks after the test. A report will also be sent to your physician.

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