Hearing Loss in Children

Speech and language development requires hearing. When a baby hears people around them speaking they start to learn to understand speech. What babies babble reflects what they hear. After a few months of babbling sounds present in a variety of languages, babies then switch to babbling just the sounds of the language they hear.

Parents can use the following reference guide to help them detect a potential hearing problem:

Random, loud noises should result in startling a newborn.
Mom’s voice should prove comforting to a 2-3 months old.
A smile should be the result of speaking to a 3-month-old.
Babbling should start by 6 month.s
Hearing a sound should often prompt a 6-month-old baby to direct his/her head or eyes in the direction the sound came from.
Sight and touch are often used by children who cannot hear well when they are interacting with their environment. Using sight and touch to interact can mask hearing issues.
First word and sound imitation should be spoken by 12 months.

Pain-free, fast hearing tests can be administered to babies before they are dismissed from the hospital in which they were born. Early detection is crucial in combating hearing problems. The latest a baby’s parents can wait to have their newborn’s hearing tested is three weeks after birth in a hospital. Two months is the maximum amount of time parents can wait to have their baby tested after a home-based birth.

More extensive testing is administered to babies who fail a hearing test. To help them learn to listen and speak, hearing aids and therapy are provided. Sometimes, screening tests aren’t 100% effective; some types of hearing problems aren’t detected.

Failing a hearing screening does not always mean a baby is suffering from hearing loss. Within the baby’s first 3 months of life, a retest should be done. If the retest confirms the results of the initial test, then a hearing loss problem is definitely present. Doctors should begin treatment when the baby reaches 6 months of age.

Illnesses, diseases, accidents, genetics, and medication use can play a role in hearing loss. A hearing loss issue may not reveal itself at birth; it may surface later on.

The three hearing loss types are: conductive, sensorineural, and mixed.

A conductive hearing loss is associated with the outer or middle ear and involves a problem with sound making its way to the inner ear. Ear canal wax, middle-ear fluid or otitis media, and eardrum holes are some reasons for conductive hearing loss. Medicine or surgery can, in most conductive cases, take care of the problem.

A sensorineural hearing loss is associated with the inner ear. Pre-birth infection, oxygen loss during birth, and genetics can all play roles in creating this type of hearing loss. The use of medicine or surgery generally is not effective in dealing with sensorineural loss. Hearing aids are the better treatment choice.

A mixed hearing loss involves the combination of middle ear problems and sensorineural hearing loss. Middle ear problems, such as fluid collection, on top of sensorineural hearing loss can create an even bigger hearing loss problem.
The majority of deaf children are able to learn how to speak. At ages 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, and 18, routing testing is generally done. Several age-specific tests are available. Some of the treatment available includes: hearing aids, cochlear implants, and speech therapy.

One of the best series of DVDs I have used for the last several years as a Speech Pathologist, for hearing loss in children is from Signing Times. It is a series of DVD’s that show children signing, and saying the word and matching it with the object or action. It not only teaches children to learn but also teaches other family members or classmates. I highly recommend this product.