The importance of acoustic reflex for communication.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare the speech recognition capacity between listeners with and without acoustic reflex using different types of noises and intensities.

Materials And Methods: We studied 18 women allocated to 2 groups: acoustic reflex present (20 ears) and absent (16 ears). They were presented with 180 disyllable words (90 to each ear), emitted randomly at a fixed intensity of 40 dB above the pure tone average hearing level.

Results of a neonatal hearing screening program in Maceió.

Unlabelled: Since 1998, after we started the support group for neonatal hearing screening, many other hearing screening programs were held in Brazil. In Alagoas, the first program started in 2003, but none of its results were published. Hearing is paramount for human communication; therefore, childhood hearing loss can impair speech acquisition, emotional, educational and social development.