Medcon advises parents about hearing loss in children

Thursday, 3 November 2011 00:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Each and every parent expects a healthy child and makes plans about parenting for an educated child in their family.

Do you believe that hearing of the child plays a major role in making these dreams come true? Children learn to communicate by imitating the sounds they hear.

If they have a hearing loss that is undetected and untreated, they can miss much of the speech and language around them.

This results in delayed speech/language development, social problems and academic difficulties.

Knowing the possible causes of hearing loss can increase the awareness and can open the path to early identification which in turn helps the child for better rehabilitation.

Some of the causes are: infections during pregnancy, birth complications, genetic syndromes such as Ushers, Down’s and Waardenberg’s syndromes, family history of hearing loss, untreated middle-ear eardrum, excessive noise, such as fireworks or loud music, diseases such as otosclerosis or Meniere’s disease, serious injury to the hear, ototoxic medication.

There maybe some temporary and treatable conditions caused by ear-wax or middle-ear infections.

To prevent this hidden disorder, neonatal screen carried out before the hospital discharge is very much necessary.

This assures early intervention in the event that the newborn exhibits any sign of hearing loss. If your infant was not tested at birth, it is recommended that you contact a hearing healthcare centre for a thorough hearing evaluation for your baby. If you are too late for the neonatal screening, still don’t worry. You can take your child for an audiologist for a detailed evaluation. What if your child is diagnosed as having a hearing loss? There is nothing to worry. First your audiologist will rule out whether it is a reversible or an irreversible disorder. If reversible, you can consult an ENT profession. If irreversible, you can try with a hearing aid with a high technology.

If still no benefits arise, the technology has gone so far and you can move further with a piece of the latest technology, ‘cochlear implantation’.

Most importantly, notice your child. Pay attention for his/her responses for each and every sound. Spending a few minutes on observing your child’s responses can show the path to guide you on your dreams.