EP004 - Suspected Hearing Impairment in 10-Month-Old Child

This podcast is based on clinical scenarios from the official AMC Handbook of Clinical Assessment published by the Australian Medical Council. All cases are used solely for study and discussion. We provide personal learning insights and clinical interpretations to support AMC candidates in developing their clinical reasoning skills. The AMC Handbook is the intellectual property of the Australian Medical Council. To access the official material, please visit the AMC website.

In this episode, we explore the case of 10-month-old Helena, referred for suspected hearing impairment by a nurse despite her parents having no initial concerns. Her initial examination was normal.

We discuss the importance of taking a detailed history and understanding different types of hearing loss, including common mild/transient conductive loss and less common but significant sensorineural loss.

Crucially, screening tests are not diagnostic. The essential next step for suspected hearing loss is immediate referral to a paediatric audiologist for a formal audiogram. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital for significant hearing deficits.