Indicators For Hearing Loss in Children

Many audiologists will tell you that parents often complain that their child does not hear them, makes them repeat instructions, or watches television at high volumes. What many parents may not realize is that these are some of the signs of hearing loss. Parents sometimes fail to realize that their child suffers from hearing loss because of their preconceived notion that hearing loss occurs only in old age. However, hearing loss can occur at any age.

Identification is the first step in treating any problem. There are reliable and simple ways to detect hearing loss in every age group. If you notice your child is not following the natural progression of development, talk with your pediatrician about testing. The sooner a problem is identified, the faster it can be managed. Look out for these indicators:

During pregnancy

• Mother had German Measles, a viral infection or the flu
• Mother drank alcoholic beverages

Newborn

• Weighed less than 1.5 kg at birth
• Has an unusual appearance of the face or ears
• Was jaundiced (yellow skin) at birth and had an exchange blood transfusion
• Was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for more than five days
• Received an antibiotic medication given through a needle in a vein
• Had meningitis
• Failed newborn hearing screening test

Family

• Has one or more individuals with permanent or progressive hearing loss that was present or developed early in life.

Infant

• Received an antibiotic medication given through a needle in a vein
• Had meningitis
• Has a neurological disorder
• Had a severe injury with a fracture of the skull with or without bleeding from the ear
• Has recurring ear infections with fluid in ears for more than three months
• Response to the environment – speech and language development
• Newborn (Birth to 3 Months)

How to tell if your child’s hearing is normal – some signs there may be a problem with your child’s hearing:

• Does not startle, move, cry, or react in any way to unexpected loud noises
• Does not awaken to loud noises
• Does not freely imitate the sound
• Cannot be soothed by voice alone
• Does not turn his/her head in the direction of your voice
• Does not point to familiar persons or objects when asked
• Does not babble or babbling has stopped

Infant (3 months to 2 years)

• Does not accurately turn in the direction of a soft voice on the first call
• Is not alert to environmental sounds
• Does not respond on the first call
• Does not respond to sounds or does not locate where sound is coming from
• Does not begin to imitate and use simple words for familiar people and things around the home
• Does not sound like or use speech like other children of similar age
• Does not listen to TV at a normal volume
• Does not show consistent growth in the understanding and the use of words
• By 12 months does not understand simple phrases by listening alone, such as “wave bye-bye,” or “clap hands”

CONCLUSION

If you have checked one or more of these indicators, your child might have hearing loss and you should take him or her for an ear examination and a hearing test. This can be done at any age, as early as just after birth.

If you did not check any of these factors but you suspect that your child is not hearing normally, contact our doctor who will arrange for you to see an ear nose throat specialist and have your child’s hearing tested by an audiologist when appropriate, have his or her speech evaluated by a speech and language pathologist.