Oto Acoustic Emissions

OAE measures whether parts of the ear respond properly to sound. During the test, a plastic probe containing both a transmitter and a microphone is inserted into the infant's ear. The transmitter sends sounds down into the inner ear, and the microphone picks up the vibrations the hair cells make in response. In normal-hearing persons, the ear “echoes” sounds, and this “echo” can be detected by the OAE machine. Since the probe of the OAE machine which is very soft and comes in different sizes, is placed just inside the ear canal of the infant it does not cause any discomfort in the child.