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.
Some signs of pediatric hearing loss are:
Does not respond to loud noises
I can finally hear the TV...
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
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!