Hearing problems can affect any child, and as a parent, thinking your child is struggling to hear can be frightening. There are some signs you can look out for to spot a problem early and seek treatment. Many hearing problems are caused by simple things like ear infections or wax build-ups and can be treated with ear-drops or antibiotics. For more serious problems, your GP may suggest a hearing aid.
All children have regular check-ups as they grow, and at this standard childhood appointments, your Doctor will check your child’s hearing to make sure no issues are developing.
If you have family members with hearing issues, make sure to watch out for the same signs in your children. Hearing loss can also be caused by premature birth, birth complications and newborn jaundice. Later on, some medications can cause problems, as can regular ear infections or exposure to very loud noises.
To protect your child’s hearing, make sure you always have any ear infections treated promptly. If you’re taking your child to somewhere loud, like a concert, protect them with ear defenders to avoid damage to their ears.
Look out for hearing milestones. All children, from birth, should react to sudden or loud noises. By 3 months, your baby should recognise your voice. By 6 months, your baby should react to loud sounds by turning their heads towards the direction of the noise. Once your baby starts to become a toddler and reaches a year old, they should be mimicing sounds and beginning to form words. Not reaching milestones on time isn’t always a reason to worry; some children just develop later than others. If you’re concerned, make an appointment with your doctor to be sure.
As your child grows, any hearing struggles should be easier to spot. Look out for kids who are behind their peers with learning speech, or who don’t react to their name. Are they slower to learn than the other children? Do they appear to ignore you when you speak to them? If your child frequently struggles to hold conversation, becomes frustrated in rooms with a lot of background noise or often asks for the television or any music to be turned up, it may be worth having their hearing checked out.
If your GP thinks there is a problem, they will refer your child to a specialist. A paediatric hearing specialist will check your child’s ears and then test their responses to sounds with a series of games. This means the test isn’t scary for even young children.
If your child does need help, there are lots of hearing aid options available. For kids, it’s important to choose a hearing aid which is easy to use and comfortable to wear. Look at 100% rechargeable hearing aids to make sure you can keep your childs’ aids working at all times. Try a variety of fits to find what works best for your child. The best hearing aid for your child is one they will actually wear.
