Hearing Tests

Wyatt had his first hearing test and visit to the ENT today. The ENT is another member of the cleft team we are working with because in addition to the cleft impacting his physical appearance, teeth and speech it can also cause hearing problems. Regular hearing tests and visits to the ENT will become part of our routine.

Clefts can cause fluid to build up in the ear which can lead to hearing loss and other issues such as more frequent ear infections. Because of this most children with a cleft have tubes put in their ears to help with draining. It was just assumed from the beginning Wyatt would need tubes and we even prescheduled the procedure to be done during his next surgery.

We thought Wyatt's ears were fine because he hasn't had any ear infections yet and responds to sounds, startles, etc. Well, he didn't pass his hearing tests today. He definitely has some fluid build up and will have tubes put in during surgery next week. No big deal. Just another step in the process.

After sleeping through the first part of the appointment he woke up and was all smiles. Bella was there for moral support. Here are some pictures of our visit today: