Did You Hear What I Said!!??........ Hearing Loss In Children
Ever wondered if your child may not be hearing well when you tell them to do their homework for the tenth time and you still don’t get a response? And yet when you say “ice cream” the hearing ability improves remarkably! So how do we know if our child really does have a hearing problem? To be able to hear well is important to your child’s development. If there are any problems in hearing, you need to find them early so your child can get the attention that they need.
HOW TO CHECK YOUR CHILD’S HEARING.
Here are some of the ways that you can check whether your baby reacts to sounds as he should.
At birth : Your baby should be startled by a sudden noise such as a hand clap or door slamming and should blink or open his eyes widely to such sounds.
By 1 month : Your baby should be beginning to notice sudden long sounds like the noise of a vacuum cleaner, and should listen to those sounds when they begin and notice when they stop.
By 4 months : Your baby should appear to be aware or smile at the sound of your voice even when he cannot see you. He may also turn his head or eyes towards you if you come up from behind and speak from the side.
By 7 months : Your baby should turn immediately to your voice across the room or to very quiet noises made on each side.
By 9 months : Your baby should listen to familiar every day sounds and look for very quiet sounds made out of sight. Your baby should also show pleasure in babbling loudly and tunefully.
By 12 months : Your baby should show some response to his own name and other familiar words, and may also respond when you say ‘no’ and ‘bye-bye’ even when he cannot see you wave.
Hearing loss should be considered in babies who do not do these things.
SIGNS OFTEN SHOWN BY CHILDREN WITH HEARING PROBLEMS.
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Lack of response to sounds or speech, or saying “What?” is the most common sign of hearing loss, the child often does not seem to notice that you have spoken to them at all.
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Delayed language development, using the wrong word, or unclear speech.
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Behavior problems - the relationship between child and parents may be affected because the child may understand only when a parent speaks in a loud, angry voice.
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Educational difficulty - if the child does not hear the teacher well she may be easily distracted and considered either a ‘behavior problem’ or a withdrawn student.
CAUSES OF HEARING LOSS - For most children, hearing loss is only temporary.
Middle ear infections with fluid (Otitis media with effusion, middle ear fluid, glue ear).
This is the most common cause of hearing loss in children, affecting at least 10% of all children. Usually middle ear fluid may be present for a few weeks following an acute ear infection and then clear up without the need for any action, however sometimes it can cause obvious hearing difficulty that may last for many months or even years if action is not taken. Antibiotics may be tried at first, but if the fluid continues to cause obvious hearing loss for more than three months, the doctor may advise that the fluid be removed (usually during day surgery in a hospital). Tubes (grommets) may be put into in the eardrums to let the air in and prevent the return of fluid.
Wax blocking the ear canals.
In most people, wax gradually works its way out of the ear naturally; it does not usually build up and block the ear canal. Sometimes wax may completely block the ear canal and cause some temporary hearing loss. You can soften wax by dropping 2-3 drops of olive oil into the shell of the ear, and then tilting it into the ear canal (this will warm the oil naturally before it enters the ear canal. Cold solutions should never be put directly into the ear canal). Once the wax is soft it may work its way to the outer ear, however if it does not, it may need to be removed by your family doctor. Do not poke cotton buds into the ears as this tends to push wax deeper into the canal. To keep ears clean, it is only necessary to clean the outer shell of the ear with a soapy finger or wash cloth.
When hearing loss is permanent
This is much less common; about 1 - 2 children in every 1,000 have significant permanent hearing loss. Permanent hearing loss in children is usually present from birth and may be caused by a very difficult or premature birth, or due to viral infections (such as Rubella) during the pregnancy. Less often it appears later due to meningitis or other causes. Permanent hearing loss is usually due to damage to the sound-sensitive nerve endings in the inner ear (or cochlea either before or after birth). Medicines cannot improve the hearing nerves, nor can ear grommets (tubes). If the child cannot understand quiet conversation, he will not learn about talking like other children unless sounds and voices are made louder for him. This means that carefully chosen hearing aids will probably help his speech and education.
HOW IS CHILDREN’S HEARING TESTED?
Different methods are used at different ages.
Birth to 4 months: From birth a baby can be watched for response to sudden loud noises. In developed countries technology is now available to assess quite accurately a child’s ability to hear right from birth. These programs use the detection of otoacoustic emissions to screen babies for hearing defects. (Otoacoustic emission inner ear in response to incoming sound. This sound energy can then be detected in the ear canal which shows that the child has heard the sound.)
4 months to 3 years: The child starts to turn slowly to quiet voices and other interesting sounds; by 7 months the baby may be turning quickly to very quiet sound. The child will soon be able to show just how well he hears the low-pitched, middle and high-pitched sounds that are important for understanding speech.
From 3 years: The child may accept headphones, which allow each ear to be tested separately with a pure-tone audiometer test. A child’s growing concentration allows hearing measurements to be made with greater accuracy and detail at this age.
If you are concerned about your child’s hearing, please contact me at Community Health Care (info@chcbali.com, or 08123-660000), for an audiometer assessment on your child.
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Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse and Midwife that has been living and working in Bali for almost twenty years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail at info@chcbali.com”.
