Which three objective techniques are strongly recommended by JCIH for hearing assessment of infants from birth to 6 months?

The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) recommends specific objective techniques for hearing assessment in infants from birth to 6 months to ensure accurate detection of hearing loss. The correct choice includes acoustic immittance measurements, otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), and auditory brainstem response (ABR) as these techniques are non-invasive and effective in this age group.

Acoustic immittance measurements help assess middle ear function and can indicate whether conductive hearing loss is present, which is crucial for infants who may be unable to respond behaviorally. Otoacoustic emissions evaluate the function of the outer hair cells in the cochlea and provide insight into the sensory function of the hearing mechanism; they are particularly useful because they typically can be obtained easily and quickly. Auditory brainstem response testing is essential as it measures the brain's electrical activity in response to sound, providing critical information about the auditory pathways up to the brainstem level. This method is particularly useful in determining hearing sensitivity in very young infants who may not be able to participate in behavioral assessments.

Other techniques listed in the incorrect options may not be suitable for this age range. For instance, pure tone audiometry is more appropriate for older children who can respond to sounds, while behavioral observation audiometry,