For parents, their children’s health is their top priority. Their constant care starts from the moment their child is in the mother’s womb and continues after they are born. One thing many parents are concerned about the most is their little one’s hearing.
The thing is any type of hearing loss in children can affect their ability to develop speech, language, and social skills. That’s why doctors perform hearing tests once babies are born to identify possible hearing issues quickly and accurately, so newborns can begin early treatment and reduce the risk of worsening their hearing impairment.
However, children may pass these hearing tests at birth and develop some form of hearing loss later in their childhood. That’s why parents need to be able to read the signs and understand the steps they need to take to manage the impairment appropriately.
In this post at Live Enhanced, we outline the common signs of hearing loss in children, as well as the main causes and available treatment.
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Common signs
The most common signs of hearing loss are different for each child. For example, in babies and toddlers, hearing impairment is characterized by the inability to hear faint sounds, speech delays, trouble developing correct speech sounds, and a malformed ear at birth.
In younger children, the signs of hearing loss include falling back in speech development, communication difficulties, behavioral problems, and increased distraction.
In the latter case, many doctors often prescribe hearing aids to help improve the hearing ability of school-aged children. Depending on your child’s needs, you can choose from a variety of hearing aid types that best suit their age, lifestyle, and type of hearing loss.
When searching for hearing aids, be sure to look for high-quality brands such as Phonak hearing aids which offer a wide variety of designs for every type of hearing impairment.
Possible causes
The possible causes of hearing loss in children can be many, including:
- Premature birth;
- Family history of childhood hearing loss;
- Exposure to certain medications;
- Infections such as meningitis;
- Ear infections;
- Exposure to loud noises;
- Structural abnormalities within the ear canal.
Regardless of what the possible cause of hearing loss in your child is, it is crucial that you seek immediate medical attention from a professional audiologist. They will perform necessary hearing screening and prescribe appropriate treatment to prevent further problems with speech, language, and social skills.
Available treatment
When it comes to treating hearing loss in children, the good news is there are several treatment methods available that parents can try out to manage the condition. The most effective ones include hearing aids, medication, surgery, and cochlear implants.
However, it is important to note that no single treatment is the same for every child. That’s why it is strongly advised that you first consult with a well-experienced audiologist to develop a personalized treatment plan for your little one and suggest what the best treatment method will be for them.
For children who have hearing loss that has affected their speech, doctors may recommend speech-language therapy to help them catch up on their speech delays. Besides this, children who suffer from auditory processing disorder may also receive therapy to improve their ability to understand and use language properly.
Prevention
Although early medical intervention is the best way to prevent hearing loss in children, there are other measures you can take to protect your child’s hearing or reduce the risk of becoming worse.
For example, probably the best way to prevent any type of hearing impairment in your little one, whether it is an infant, toddler, or school-aged kid, is to keep them away from high noise levels. In other words, try not to expose them to loud noises which can have serious consequences on their hearing ability later on.
You can also take proactive measures when your baby is still in the womb by having a healthy pregnancy which can also prevent hearing loss at birth.
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Final thoughts
Hearing loss is a type of health condition that can affect both children and adults. If you suspect your child is suffering from some form of hearing impairment, it is important that you watch out for the early signs so you can react on time and protect your little one’s hearing.
For more help, refer to our post and learn everything you need to know about hearing loss in children.
