No parent wants to think about something being wrong with their child. But with statistics stating that 2 or 3 out of ever 1,000 children born in the U.S. as deaf or hard of hearing and three out of four children having an ear infection that can lead to hearing problems, hearing problems in children can be a common occurrence. (See References 1)
Process
In normal hearing, children are able to listen and hear from the time they are born and then go on to learn to talk by imitating voices and sounds around them. (See References 2) The three parts of the ear--the external ear, middle ear and inner ear--have specialized functions in normal hearing. The external ear collects the sound and sends it towards the eardrum. The middle ear transmits the sound vibrations to the inner ear. The inner ear transmits the sound energy to the brain to be interpreted. (See References 3)
Types
If there is a problem with the function of the outer or middle ear, there is a conductive hearing impairment. If the problem is in the inner ear, there is sensorineural or hair cell impairment. If there is a problem in the middle and inner ear, there is a mixed hearing impairment. A conductive impairment means the sound is not send through the ear canal, eardrum or tiny bones of the middle ear efficiently. The sound that is heard is not as loud. With sensorineural impairments, the transmission of the electrical signals means that sounds may not come through at all. Hearing problems in one ear means that the child can't determine which direction sound is coming from. (See References 3)
Causes
There are multiple potential causes for hearing problems in children. Congenital means that the problem was present at birth. Genetic hearing loss where the child inherits the condition from a parent is one cause. Other congenital causes include prenatal infections, illnesses, premature birth and Rh factor complications. Acquired causes of hearing loss are those that become present after birth at any point in the child's development. They can result from disease, ear infections, injuries or noise exposure. (See References 4)
Tests
Infants are often given a hearing test in the hospital soon after delivery to see if there are any signs of hearing loss. Hearing tests can also be given during well-child visits. Tests include a behavioral observation to see if and how the child responds to sounds and tones. Physiologic tests are measures to help estimate hearing function and can help pinpoint which function of the hearing process isn't working properly. Tympanometry tests show how well the eardrum moves when sound and pressure are present. (See References 5)
Treatments
The most common non-surgical treatment for hearing problems is a hearing aid that helps to amplify sounds. A FM system is a specialized amplification device that can be used in schools to help children learn. Therapies like auditory or listening therapies or lip reading can also be conducted to help children acclimate. For children with a profound hearing loss, a cochlear implant may be inserted to transmit sound past the damaged area of the ear. (See References 5)
References
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Quick Statistics
- MedlinePlus: Hearing Problems in Children
- Adirondack Audiology Associates: Hearing Problems in Children
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Causes of Hearing Loss in Children
- Kidshealth.org: Hearing Evaluation in Children
