Understanding how early hearing screening works for children from birth

Jakarta — Dr. Fikry Hamdan Yasin, SP.THTBKL, Subsp.K.(K), an ENT specialist at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central General Hospital (RSCM), introduced how newborn hearing screening works to make it easier for the general public to understand. He said early hearing screening in children is important to maintain their quality of life, including supporting their ability to communicate. ‘So from two days old, hearing screening can already be performed. We can conduct the examination with two devices: OAE (Otoacoustic Emissions) and BERA (Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry),’ he said during a live broadcast followed in Jakarta on Wednesday. In more detail, Dr. Fikry explained the aims of each screening. He said that the screening commonly found in health facilities is OAE. OAE screening specifically targets the function of hair cells in the cochlea, the snail-shaped part of the ear. Meanwhile, for BERA, this screening is defined as measuring the brain’s electrical response to sound. ‘BERA itself is a test to look at the hearing threshold in the baby. Whether there is a disorder or not,’ he said. The results of screenings from either device do not immediately determine whether the child has a hearing impairment; this is because a child with a ‘refer’ result must pass through the ‘1, 3, 6’ stages first. ‘At six months of age we can diagnose whether this child truly has congenital hearing loss or not. So if detected, we can immediately begin rehabilitation at six months,’ said the University of Indonesia alumnus. Early rehabilitation for hearing problems is expected to maintain the child’s quality of life because it means bodily function and communication can remain safeguarded. Ensuring early hearing function in children aligns with the national theme Indonesia has chosen for World Hearing Day 2026, namely ‘From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children’ (From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children). The theme was chosen because hearing problems in children often lead to a range of issues if not addressed properly, from developmental delays to social interaction disorders. Meanwhile, according to data from the Ministry of Health, referencing the results of the Free Health Check Programme (CKG) up to 31 December 2025, 18.6 million people aged seven years and over have undergone hearing screening and 1.8 percent were found to have ear health problems. The data are in line with the Riskesdas 2013 data which at that time stated that three in every 100 Indonesians had ear disorders.