Caring for a baby with a hearing aid is the same as caring for any baby with a few minor complications. There are several ways you can help your baby adjust to wearing these small devices behind the ears, which enable them to learn about and discover the world as normally as possible. Babies commonly tug at their hearing aids, especially if they got them as an older baby and are not used to them. Parents sometimes also have a hard time keeping the devices on their baby, or may even misplace them at times.
Step 1
Help your child hear better if they require the use of a hearing aid. According to Drug Information Online, seek out locations for your baby that decrease background noise so your baby can learn to focus on important foreground noises. For example, if you are at a restaurant, place your baby with his back toward the wall so he can see where noises are coming from.
Step 2
Look at your baby when you are talking to him and make sure your mouth is visible. Observing you talk and seeing how your mouth moves will help him learn where the sound is coming from and how to mimic it.
Step 3
Prevent further hearing loss. Avoid loud noises such as fireworks, loud car races or sporting events and power tools such as drills when you are with your baby.
Step 4
Keep the hearing aid clean. This is important in avoiding irritating and painful feedback, or whistling from the hearing aid. A dirty hearing aid can also cause or exacerbate an ear infection, which can lead to more hearing loss. Follow the cleaning instructions for the hearing aid's specific make and model.
Step 5
Try different ways to keep the hearing aid from falling off your baby's ears. According to Boys Town National Research Hospital, wig tape a double-sided tape, can be used to hold the hearing aid in place (but be careful, as some children are allergic to it). You may also try eyeglass bands, which can be used to attach and hold the hearing aid close to the child's ear. Consult your child's ear doctor for more suggestion specific to your child's specific type of aid.
Step 6
Help your baby avoid tugging on or pulling out his hearing aid. Consult with your child's ear doctor to make sure the hearing aid is a good fit. Babies grow rapidly, so the hearing aid may not properly fit as he grows bigger and causes him discomfort. If your baby is exploring the area and learns that he can pull something off his ear, it may become a fun game for him. Try placing a bonnet or headband over the ears to avoid this issue or play a game or give him a toy to distract him from this behavior.
Step 7
Use a brightly colored hearing aid to help you find it should it fall out and become lost.
