One of the leading birth defects is hearing loss. Most parents worry about whether or not their newborn may have this defect. There are many ways to detect hearing loss and even ways to help prevent it during and after pregnancy. ENT Specialists will share how you can watch your infant for signs that they can or cannot hear and some ways to help prevent hearing loss in infants.
Most newborns have their hearing tested within one or two days after birth and usually in the hospital with a professional technician. If the infant passes or fails the results are usually given right away. If the child fails and may have hearing loss, the parents will be given a referral to a professional hearing doctor. However even those infants that do pass at the time of the screening or testing may develop some hearing loss over time.
There are some signs that every parent should watch for to see if there child is still hearing normal.
1. An infant should react to loud or sudden noises.
2. At two months of age the infant will typically recognize their parents’ voices and when the parent speaks to the infant, they will quiet down to listen.
3. At four or five months of age the baby should begin to look toward the source of noises.
4. Around six months of age the baby should begin to mimic the different sounds that are regularly exposed to the baby. Especially those sounds that they like to hear.
5. Near nine months of age often the baby will turn towards softer noises and sounds.
6. At a year the child should begin to say some basic words, which obviously means they are able to hear and mimic back what they are hearing.
If your infant or child doesn’t appear to be following these normal steps in progression, it could indicate loss of hearing. It is important to watch for any indicators of hearing loss in the event the child’s hearing can be saved.
There are two types of hearing loss in babies. One is when the child is born with hearing loss which is considered congenital, and the other is when hearing loss occurs after birth, which then is considered acquired hearing loss. The causes of hearing loss do vary. In some cases it can be inherited even with both normal parents. Other times the infants hearing can be damaged due to an infection within the mother during pregnancy. Some virus or infections known to cause hearing loss during pregnancy is German measles (or better known as Rubella), toxoplasmosis, or herpes can leave unborn infants with hearing defects. Hearing loss can also be due to abnormal inner ear development. However, after birth, infants may have later hearing loss due to nerve damage from tumors, injury, or infection such as chicken pox, flu, meningitis or mononucleosis. All are known contributors of hearing loss.
Preventing hearing loss isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Yet, following some basic guidelines will help reduce the chances. It never hurts to try to avoid or prevent hearing loss in your child.
– Never put anything inside the infant’s ear. Not even a Q-tip should be used.
– Make sure to have your infant current on their shots and immunization. This will help avoid some of those harmful viruses and infections that can cause hearing loss.
– Monitor closely when your infant has a cold or ear infection, and be sure to quickly treat them.
– Lastly, avoid exposing your infant to loud noises that can damage their ear drums. Make sure the noise remain soft and the volumes minimal.
ENT Specialists hopes to help parents care for their children. We can help monitor and care for your baby’s hearing. If your child has shown any signs of hearing loss make an appointment with us today.
