6 Signs of Hearing Loss in Children

Whether you have a newborn or a child that is a few years old, if he or she has a hearing loss you will probably feel a range of emotions. It’s okay to feel this way, especially  because you only want the best for your child. Deciding how to move forward is different for each family,  but what is important is that you have the knowledge to make an informed decision for you and your child.

Quick Facts About Hearing Loss in Children

1. Hearing loss can be treated.
2. Approximately 1-3 children per 1,000 births have some form of hearing loss.
3. There are lots of different reasons as to why the hearing loss might have occurred, and sometimes the cause cannot be determined.
4. The first two years of life are the most important for a child’s hearing development. This is why it’s necessary to act quickly.
5. Hearing loss solutions include hearing aids, bone conduction implants, middle ear implants, and cochlear implants.

Signs of Hearing Loss in your Child

There are different ways of determining if a child has hearing loss. If your child was just born, the odds are that he or she will have had lots of different screenings or tests to check their general health, some of these screenings  are focused on hearing. However, sometimes your child’s hearing loss might not appear in these newborn screenings. That’s okay, and it’s also why you should keep an ear on their hearing development. Below is a short checklist of typical signs of hearing loss to help you assess whether your child is hearing within what is considered to be the normal threshold: Does your child:

1. Not react to loud sounds?
2. Have trouble telling where a sound is coming from?
3. Start to babble, but the babbling doesn’t develop into understandable speech?
4. Not react to voices, especially when he or she is not being held?
5. Not follow commands, or misunderstand directions?
6. Act frustrated for unknown reasons?

If you answered “yes” to some of these questions, or have questions of your own about your child’s hearing progress, make sure to ask his or her pediatrician. If you would like to speak to a MED-EL representative you can use our clinic finder to search for a clinic or MED-EL office near you.

Learn About Your Child’s Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can seem like a scary thing, but informing yourself about what it is and how it happens can help you to overcome these initial fears. The phrase “hearing loss” can seem like a big and sometimes overwhelming word, but when you know your child’s specific type of hearing loss you can focus in on one very small part. To learn more about hearing loss, we’ve put together an article that explains the three most common types of hearing loss.

There Are Many Different Hearing Loss Solutions

The good news is that hearing loss can be treated. Knowing which type of hearing loss your child has is important because it helps determine what the best hearing loss solution would be. There are many different types of hearing loss solutions: the most common include hearing aids, bone conduction implants, middle ear implants, and cochlear implants. To learn more about hearing implants, you can visit our website.

Fact: Early Intervention is Good for Your Child

We know that you want the best for your child. Whichever hearing loss solution you choose for your child, it is important to act fast. The earlier a child receives treatment, the easier it will be for him or her to hear and understand sounds. The first two years are when your child will develop his or her abilities to understand language, and children with an untreated hearing loss often cannot develop these skills later in their life. If you would like to hear from other parents who gave their children the ability to hear you can watch videos about children who received hearing implants, like this one: