I had never heard of auditory neuropathy until I read this story on CNN. It says a mother was told her son had moderate to severe hearing loss. She bought him hearing aids, but noticed he flinched whenever he wore them. The initial newborn screening and a follow-up screening showed hearing loss, but she wasn't convinced. She took him to see a specialist who diagnosed him with auditory neuropathy. The specialist told her the hearing aids would actually damage his hearing. The article talks about the under-diagnosis of this condition and how some kids have ruined their hearing by wearing hearing aids when they didn't need them. One specialist said putting a hearing aid on a child that doesn't need it for one week can ruin his/her hearing. Kids can grow out of auditory neuropathy or it can lead to permanent hearing loss. It is a neurological disorder in how the brain interprets sound.
-NewsAnchorMom Jen
