Audiology Clinical Practice Guideline: Cleft Palate/Craniofacial and Syndromic Patients
BC Children's Hospital. (2012).
Vancouver, BC (Canada): BC Children's Hospital, (Website Version), 2-44.
This guideline provides recommendations for the audiologic assessment of children with cleft palate or craniofacial anomalies and children with syndromes including CHARGE, Usher, and Down syndrome.
BC Children's Hospital (Canada)
<div>Children should receive audiologic assessment following insertion of myringotomy and/or ventilating tubes.</div>
<div>Additional audiologic assessments (after initial assessments in the first year) may be recommended at age two, three, three and a half, four, five, six, seven, eight, and/or ten for children with cleft palate or craniofacial anomalies.</div>
<div>Since children with cleft palate are at a high risk for conductive hearing loss, these children should receive a full diagnostic auditory brainstem response (ABR) test prior to three months of age. Children should receive audiologic assessments at nine months and at ages two, three, four, five, and six.</div>
<div>All children with cleft palate or craniofacial anomalies should receive newborn hearing screening.</div>
<div>It is recommended that children with aided permanent hearing loss receive audiologic assessment every six months through age four, then annually at five, six, seven, eight, and ten years of age.</div>
<div>For older children, sedated auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing should be considered if hearing status remains unknown after repeated assessments.</div>
<div>If conductive hearing loss is observed at any time, children should be referred to a general practitioner or otolaryngologist.</div>
<div>If hearing status remains unknown after two infant diagnostic auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests, the child should be referred for a consultation with a clinical audiologist. For older children, sedated ABR testing should be considered if hearing status remains unknown after repeated assessments.</div>
