PEDIATRIC HEARING LOSS

Your child is hearing impaired.

While no parent wants to hear these words, the reality is 3 in every 1,000 children are diagnosed with some type of hearing loss.

Could your child be one of them? What are the signs? How do you find out? What should you do? By coming to our office you've taken the first step. Thanks to the growing use of newborn hearing screening programs, hearing loss can often be detected before you and your baby leave the hospital. If your baby passes this initial screening, you may notice signs of possible hearing loss at a later time. It is important to see if your child reaches expected development milestones at each age.            

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Some signs of pediatric hearing loss are:

Does not respond to loud noises

Does not turn toward the source of a sound by 3 to 4 months of age

Does not produce babble by 8 months

Delay in speech or language development

Pays attention to vibrating noises or noises that can be felt, rather than heard

Does not say single words, such as "dada" or "mama" by 1 year old

Balance difficulties, such as trouble holding head steady

Turns head when he or she sees you but not if you only call out his or her name; this is usually mistaken for not paying attention or just ignoring, but could be the result of a partial hearing loss

Hears some sounds but not others

Academic problems or appearance of daydreaming at school

Lack of attentiveness

Tendency not to follow directions

Excessive ear infections

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With early detection and proper care a child with hearing loss can lead an active, productive and fulfilling life. We can select the appropriate instruments to suit your child's individual hearing and educational needs.

We look forward to partnering with you to provide the very best care for your child!