Are you worried your child might be losing their hearing? Make sure you keep reading below to learn how you can recognize hearing loss in children.
The prevalence of hearing loss in children is staggering. Hearing loss affects 5 out of every 1000 children in America according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Whether a child yet realizes they are having trouble or not, a caregiver may feel overwhelmed. Yet they can navigate their child's possible hearing loss with the right help and resources.
Knowing the types of hearing loss and signs children exhibit can help a parent get the help they need. Read on to learn more about how to test auditory ability.
Types of Hearing Loss
When parents have concerns about their child's ability to hear well, learning about the types of hearing loss is important. Some never find out why their child can't hear, but regardless, there are treatments available. Doctors first need to determine which type of hearing loss a child has:
Transient (meaning it comes and goes)
Congenital (meaning they were born with it)
Acquired (meaning they lost their hearing later)
After a doctor diagnoses the type and (if possible) the cause, parents can take steps to help their children hear better. Hearing aids and other options are available. Here are some things to look for in children to determine if they need to see a doctor for a hearing check.
Signs of Hearing Loss in Infants
Babies are harder to diagnose because they can't communicate what is wrong. Whether you're trying to treat an ear infection or hearing loss or any other ailment, it's without a doubt more difficult. Here are some signs parents can use to test their infant's hearing ability.
Young Infants
Very young infants still have limited actions. They sleep a lot, and they don't interact with their parents very much. Yet a caregiver can pay attention to see if a child startles or wakes up because of loud sounds.
Another sign is that a young infant calms down or responds to a caregiver's voice with a smile or small noise. If they don't show this type of behavior, they may have hearing loss.
Older Infants (After 4 Months)
Once an infant is older, they should start to smile in response to sound. A parent should notice that a baby will look toward a noise, especially their own name. If they aren't doing these things, they may have some hearing loss.
Another sign is that an infant will make some noises of their own, to get your attention or copy a caregiver's speech. Children learn language by hearing it around them, so if these copycat sounds aren't happening, it may be that the baby cannot hear very well.
Signs of Hearing Loss in Children and Toddlers
The biggest sign that children are having trouble hearing is noticeable language delays or slower speech development than other children their age. This is different for different children, of course. Some learn to speak before they are a year old, and others not until they are past two.
In general, though, children begin learning to respond to noises with their own noises when they are young. The signs above for infants are early indicators. Toddlers should start to develop speech after a year.
Toddlers (Up to 24 Months)
A young child, between 15 and 24 months, should start to say simple words. If they aren't able to name body parts or understand basic words that the caregiver uses every day, like "cup" or "bear," as well as old standards like "mama" and "dada," they may have hearing loss.
The toddler should also start to find interest in songs and stories. If they don't look at the book and the pictures when a caregiver reads them a story, there may be some hearing loss. They should also look at the person's face who is singing to them.
Another sign toddlers exhibit that they have some type of hearing loss is the lack of ability to follow commands. Toddlers should be able to understand and obey when asked to "Pick that up" or "Come here." If they can't obey, they may not be able to hear.
Older Children
Older children can either have transient hearing loss, meaning it gets worse and gets better, or they can get it after their speech has already developed. Here are some signs older children might exhibit if they have a hard time hearing.
If an older child gives the wrong response to questions, acting like they didn't understand, they may have some type of hearing loss. This happens especially while they are on the phone.
Another sign is that an older child turns up the TV or radio too loud. They might also say, "What?" or ask the speaker to repeat what you said, once or several times. To make sure they aren't only ignoring the speaker, ask a child to stop doing another activity before listening again.
Keep in mind that some children develop great lip reading abilities to compensate for hearing loss, so asking them to look at the speaker is not always the best way to find out if they are hearing well.
Older children may also watch for instruction instead of listening or complain about pain or noise in their ear.
If a parent notices speech delays or difference in speech from their peers, it's possible an older child may have some type of hearing loss.
Recognizing and Responding
With the types of hearing loss and the signs of hearing loss in children above, parents have the tools they need to check their children. From young infants to older children, comparing kids to basic milestones can show that someone has hearing loss.
If parents find their children aren't hearing well, they can explore options like hearing aids, speech therapy, cochlear implants, and more. It's rare that a hearing loss doesn't have some treatment available.
Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help parents respond to their child's hearing loss.