Whereas some evidence indicates that spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) may be a manifestation of the normal functioning of an active feedback mechanism in the cochlea, other evidence suggests that emissions may be the result of the interaction of such a feedback mechanism with localized outer‐hair‐cell damage. The present study surveyed the incidence of SOAEs in children and infants. If SOAEs are correlated with outer‐hair‐cell damage, the incidence of SOAEs might be expected to be lower in these two groups than in adults. The results showed no difference in the incidence of SOAEs with age. They also showed a significant tendency for a higher incidence of SOAEs in females than in males. PACS numbers: 43.63.Kz, 43.63.La