Characteristics and symptoms of hearing loss in children

Hearing loss in children is generally difficult for parents and others to interact with the baby to notice.

Parents often wonder, how come my child is getting older but is not yet able to speak fluently. And after being examined by a doctor, it turned out that hearing loss caused their child to not be able to speak.

Then, can we know if there is hearing loss in children since they were babies? What are the causes of hearing loss in children? What should you do as a parent?

What causes hearing loss in children?

The causes of hearing loss in children can vary. Half of all cases of hearing loss in children are caused by genetic disorders, some of which have a family history of hearing loss.

Apart from genetic disorders, hearing loss in children can also be caused by:

Infections in pregnant women, such as viral or bacterial infections
Use of ototoxic drugs by mothers during pregnancy
Trauma was born
History of head trauma in children
Have a history of jaundice or jaudince
History of infection of the brain or spine
History of ear infections

A quarter of babies are born with hearing loss, but the cause is not known.

Characteristics and symptoms of hearing loss in children

Even though they both have hearing loss, the characteristics and symptoms displayed can differ between infants and children. The longer your child has a hearing loss, the development will be impaired. So, knowing the symptoms early can prevent more serious complications.

Symptoms of hearing loss in babies include:

Not surprised to hear such a loud sound
Not turning to respond to sound sources (in infants over 6 months of age)
Not saying any words, such as “dada” or “mama”, by 1 year old
Does not turn around when you are called by name, but looks away when your baby sees you

While the symptoms of hearing loss in children can include:

Is late to start talking or speech development is not appropriate for his age
Speech pronunciation is not clear
Didn't follow instructions
Speaking in a voice that was louder than usual
Often times talking, "Huh?" or what?" when spoken to
Often turn on the television at high volume
Your child says he doesn't hear your voice
Tends to use one ear when he hears or complains that he can only hear in one ear only

In general, symptoms of hearing loss are easier to detect in infants and toddlers compared to older children who can speak fluently.

With babies and toddlers, you can monitor your child using a child development chart. For older children, you must pay attention to certain clues that point to hearing loss in your child. These clues can be less clear and require more attention to be able to recognize these symptoms.

What are the consequences of hearing loss in children?

Children with hearing loss who are not on therapy will experience impaired language and speech development or cognitive abilities (think, know, and decide) that they need to learn. Children with hearing loss from birth to 2 or 3 years of age have a high risk of having permanent problems with speech, language, and learning skills.

By identifying hearing loss in children as early as possible, therapy can be started as soon as possible so that further developmental disorders in children can be prevented to a minimum. With hearing aids, it is hoped that children with hearing loss can develop like other normal children.

What you can do to treat hearing loss in children and toddlers

If you find signs of hearing loss in your child, don't hesitate to get your child checked by a doctor. The longer your child has a hearing loss, the development can be impaired.

Your child's doctor will run a series of hearing tests to find out what specifics your child's hearing loss is. In addition, you are advised to do a baby hearing test from an early age, because 80-90% of cases of hearing loss in babies can be detected with a hearing test. The thing to remember is that even though the hearing is healthy as a baby, it does not rule out the possibility that at an older age new hearing loss symptoms will appear.