Childhood hearing problems can affect speech and language development and result in self-esteem issues if not identified promptly. Kids Health reports that even a partial or mild hearing loss can affect a child's ability to speak and understand language. Routine hearing checks during pediatric examinations may identify severe hearing loss, but parents should be alert for signs of milder hearing loss that may be more difficult to identify.
Causes
Otitis media is the most common cause of hearing loss in young children, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Otitis media occurs when fluid builds up behind the eardrum due to an inflammation. Hearing loss can run in families and may be more likely to occur if at least one parent experiences hearing problems. Certain genetic diseases, including the Usher syndrome or Alport syndrome, can also causing hearing loss.
Children may be born with hearing loss if the mother develops German measles, toxemia or the cytomegalovirus during pregnancy. A premature birth or deprivation of oxygen during birth can also cause hearing loss. Acquired hearing loss may occur during childhood as a result of an exposure to loud sounds, injury or disease, such as meningitis, mumps or encephalitis.
Symptoms
Symptoms of hearing loss in children include limited or absent speech development, difficulty paying attention, the need to turn up the sound on the radio or television, lack of response when asked a question or failure to startle at loud noises or turn to the source of the noise. Kids Health reports that children should be able to imitate sounds and produce a few words by the age of 12 months. If a child is unable to imitate sounds or speak a few words, he may be experiencing hearing loss.
Effects
Children who have hearing problems may have problems in school due to the inability to clearly hear instructions. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association reports that vocabulary may develop slowly and children may be difficult to understand when speaking. Children with hearing loss may not be able to hear the final sounds of words and may not be able to modulate the volume of their voices because they can't clearly hear themselves speak. Difficulty understanding others can lead to social isolation and self-esteem issues.
Considerations
The National Institutes of Health reports that early identification of hearing impairment is important during the first three years of life when speech and language capabilities first develop. Treating hearing loss during this time period is important because children are better able to respond to treatment and therapy for hearing loss when sensory systems are still developing.
Treatment
Hearing aids can help children hear sounds they are missing due to hearing impairment. Speech therapy may prove helpful in improving both speech and language development. Children who are profoundly deaf may benefit from learning sign language or using a cochlear implant. A cochlear implant is surgically implanted behind your child's ear and restores partial hearing by bypassing damaged cells and stimulating the auditory nerve, according to the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
References
- Kids Health: Hearing Evaluation in Children
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Causes of Hearing Loss in Children
- National Institutes of Health: Early Identification of Hearing Impairment in Infants and Young Children
- Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Cochlear Implants
