When a child cannot hear certain sounds, or cannot hear anything at all, it is called a hearing loss. There are many types and degrees of hearing loss. The type of hearing loss depends on where in the ear the problem occurs.
Types of hearing loss include:
Conductive hearing losses may or may not be permanent. It depends on the cause.
Sensorineural hearing losses are permanent. Sometimes the problem with the inner ear also causes problems with balance. Children with both hearing and balance problems may have mild delays in the development of their motor skills.
A child may have both a sensorineural hearing loss and a conductive hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is called a mixed loss.
Hearing losses may be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. The level of severity is determined by the loudness of sound that a child can hear. The loudness of sound is measured in decibels (dB).
Mild: Children with mild hearing losses can hear sounds of 30 to 40Â dB or louder. They may have trouble hearing faint or distant speech. The most common cause of a mild hearing loss is fluid buildup in the middle ear.
Moderate: Children who have moderate losses of hearing can hear sounds louder than 40 to 60 dB. They need speech to be loud. It is hard for these children to understand speech in groups.
Severe: Children with severe losses can hear sounds of 60 to 80 dB or louder. They can hear only loud voices one foot or less away or loud sounds that are near them.
Profound: Children with profound hearing losses may hear loud sounds of 80 dB or more, but they may be more aware of vibrations than sound. Children with profound hearing losses or children with no hearing at all may also be called deaf.
Your child may have a hearing problem if:
Most states test a newborn's hearing before the baby leaves the hospital. Every child who may have a hearing loss needs thorough testing of his hearing and middle ear function. An audiologist does hearing tests. He or she is specially trained to recognize and evaluate hearing.
After a hearing loss is diagnosed, your healthcare provider will try to find out the cause of the hearing loss. Additional tests may include blood tests, an EKG, and a CT scan (a special X-ray) of the middle and inner ear. It is important to try to find out if the cause, especially if it is a genetic cause. Then you will know if your next child has a chance of having the same problem.
Results from these tests help determine the best ways to treat your child.
A child's early years are very important for learning and the development of language. Treating hearing problems early makes a big difference in how well a child does later in life. The audiologist tries to provide the best use of a child's remaining hearing. She or he designs a treatment plan for your child. This plan consists not only of making sound louder with hearing aids, but also hearing and language training, and parent support and training.
Hearing aids do not restore hearing. They are loudspeakers that help get the best sound possible to your child's ear. The aid makes sounds louder, not clearer. It may distort some sounds. Children of all ages can use hearing aids. The aids may even help young infants.
Make sure that you talk to the ear doctor about what sounds your child can hear with and without a hearing aid, the effects of noise on your child's hearing, and how to keep the hearing aids in the best working order. Your child will also need to learn how to hear better. This includes ignoring background noises and paying attention to voices.
The cochlea is the part of the ear that turns the vibrations we call sound into electrical signals. The brain then interprets the signals into meaningful sounds such as speech. Some children with hearing loss may benefit from an electronic device called a cochlear implant (CI).
A CI has 3 parts: a microphone, a microcomputer, and a cochlear electrode. The microphone, worn behind the ear, sends the sound to a microcomputer. The microcomputer is connected to the microphone by a wire and is worn in a pouch attached to the belt. It turns the sound into an electrical code which is sent by radio wave to the cochlear electrode. The wire electrode is surgically implanted through the skull behind the ear into the cochlea. The cochlear implant does not give the child normal hearing. However, the child may be able to interpret the signals produced by the implant after he or she gets used to the signals and what they mean.
Your team of doctors and hearing specialists will help you decide if an implant is right for your child. The results of an implant may vary from child to child. Most children who get an implant can hear and speak better. Therapy given after surgery may also play an important role in how well your child's hearing improves.
A buildup of fluid in the middle ear could worsen your child's hearing loss. Your child may need to have ventilating tubes (ear tubes) to help drain fluid in the middle ear. Any additional hearing loss may make a big difference in what a child can hear. A child with ear tubes can still use hearing aids.
Language training programs for hearing-impaired children are offered as early as infancy. Parent-infant programs help parents provide an environment rich in language for their child.
Children with hearing loss use many ways to communicate. You and your healthcare provider will need to decide which way works best with your child. If your child has some hearing left, it may be best to train your child to make the most of his or her speech and hearing abilities. For a more severe hearing loss, a child may need to be trained to use speech, hearing, vision, speech-reading, finger spelling, reading, writing, or signing (American Sign Language) to communicate.
Here are some things to discuss with your child's doctors to help you make decisions:
Contact your local school district before your child starts school. Children with hearing loss usually need some special classroom changes. A team of professionals will help evaluate your child and put together an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Parents have a right to help put together this plan. You may also ask your healthcare provider to review the plan. In some schools there are programs available for children with hearing loss. Ask and find out all the services that may be available for your child.
Children with hearing loss need regular hearing, ear, and eye exams. Younger children need to be tested more often than older children because their ear canals are growing and changing shape. Because your child's main way to learn and communicate is through sight, regular eye exams are important to make sure there are no problems.
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