Temp Hearing Loss at Birth

C-Section babies are more likely to fail their first hearing test. That's according to new research out of Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel. Researchers say babies delivered by Cesarean section are three times more likely to have a temporary hearing loss for about 72 hours because of fluids in the middle ear. The first hearing test, performed shortly after birth, is known as the otoacoustic emissions test. The researchers looked at more than 1600 births and found 7% of those delivered vaginally failed that test while 21% of the C-section babies failed it. About a third of all births in the U.S are by C-Section and researchers suggest waiting 48 hours before testing the hearing of those children. You can read details of the study in the journal Pediatrics here.