HEARING - Infant
While hearing loss in an infant is very rare, it is something to watch for. Infants whom are deaf will actually make normal baby sounds, babble and coo up until about 4 to 6 months. At around 4 to 6 months, if the baby cannot hear, then they may stop making sounds or they may just stop making new sounds. The old fashioned way we check a baby to see if they hear is to clap your hands loudly close to the baby’s head but not in direct sight of the baby (such as behind the head). The infants eyes should blink, like in a startle response. If you are concerned that your child does not hear well, then please call the office.
Beginning in 2000, all babies are screened while still in the hospital after birth for hearing problems using 2 techniques. Some normal children will fail the initial screen and will have to return later to retake the test.
HEARING ISSUES - OLDER CHILDREN
If you think your child might have a hearing problem:
The first step is to try a bunch of things to make sure whether there really is a problem. Most parents instinctively do this, but not a bad idea to mention it anyway. Make noises out of the line of sight of your child to see if they respond. A child might simply be paying attention to other things. Do this enough times to satisfy your elf that your child either has an issue or does not. If you think there might be an issue, it is best to schedule an appointment. We will examine their ears and may do a hearing test. It can be as simple a selective listening, to an ear infection, wax or even one of the countless objects I have pulled out of kids ears of the decades.
One interesting note: If your child covers their ears and seems to feel things are too loud. This is not a hearing problem. Some kids are simply sensitive to certain wave lengths or decibel levels. Sometimes this is a behavioral issue. Sometimes the child might have had fluid in their ears from allergies or a cold and this causes a mild hearing loss. When the issue resolves, sometimes they all of a sudden hear better and things appear loud. If your not sure, best to see us in the office so we can check.
