Signs of Hearing Loss in Children

It ' s hard to help your child with his or her hearing loss if you don ' t know they have a hearing problem. There are two basic types of hearing loss in children - congenital and acquired. Congenital means that the hearing loss was present at birth; while acquired, which means that the hearing loss occurred after birth. Both congenital and acquired hearing loss can be sensorineural, conductive or mixed.

The signs and symptoms of hearing loss are different from child to child. The following is a list of common signs that may help you tell if your baby is having difficulty hearing:

• Your baby doesn ' t respond sound by the time they are 3 to 4-months-old.
• Your baby pays attention to vibrations rather than noises.
• Your baby can ' t say short words, such as " dada " or " mama " by the age of one.
• Your baby seems to hear some sounds but not others.
• Your baby doesn ' t respond to your voice.
• Your baby doesn ' t repeat any sounds you make.
• Your baby doesn ' t use his or her voice to attract attention.
• Your baby doesn ' t respond or listen to music, stories or rhymes.
• Your baby doesn ' t put two or more words together.

Even though your child may show no signs of hearing loss as a baby, they could suffer from temporary or permanent hearing loss as they grow older. Signs that an older child is having hearing problems include:

• The child listens to the television or radio at an abnormally high volume.
• The child doesn ' t respond when you call their name or talk to them.
• The child has articulation or speech problems.
• The child has problems learning.
• The child complains of earaches.
• The child seems to speak differently than other children of the same age.

Keep in mind that hearing loss in children is often temporary and can be caused by earwax or middle-ear infections. Many children who suffer temporary hearing loss can have their hearing restored through treatment or minor surgery. Some children have sensorineural hearing loss; which is also called nerve deafness and is permanent. Most of these children have some usable hearing and children as young as 3-months-old can be fitted with hearing aids. If your child displays any signs of hearing loss make sure you take him or her to have their hearing tested.