Discovering that your child has a hearing loss
Discovering a hearing loss in small children can be very upsetting. Some have just a slight hearing loss, which is difficult to detect. Others have a more severe hearing loss, and therefore show more obvious signs.
With new-born hearing screening now mandatory in many countries, most hearing losses are discovered immediately. Various methods are available to test and determine a child’s hearing loss within the first month of life. It is often necessary to test several times to ensure that the type and degree of hearing loss is determined precisely. Sometimes, however, the hearing loss is first discovered when the child is older. One sign can be that the child fails to develop speech.
Parents are often the first to become suspicious when their child doesn’t seem to be hearing very well. If your baby doesn’t react to the sound of a doorbell ringing, or to you calling from another room or from behind, this might indicate that something is amiss.
Having noticed signs like these, you probably want to be certain whether your child has a hearing loss or not. But you may not know how to go about doing this.
Some parents spend quite some time in a state of denial, because they find it too painful to accept what is happening. This is a perfectly normal reaction. For the sake of your child though, it is important to call your family doctor as soon as possible.
Children begin to communicate from the moment they are born. They are constantly listening, and very soon they are able to recognise the voices of their mother and father. They learn to talk by imitating the sounds they hear.
Children with hearing loss can have difficulty learning to communicate because they are unable to hear enough of the sounds around them - or even their own voice. Thus, the sooner your child gets help, the better. Because the sooner a hearing loss is identified, the better the chances are of successful rehabilitation.
