The importance of sound
Children learn language – by listening to sounds. Children pick up the sounds they hear in their environment. Language development is not the only thing that depends on the ability to hear. Listening abilities and skills also affect their ability to read and write, and last but not least develops social communication skills.
To study oral speech, the child must be able to clearly hear speech, as well as himself. If a child has hearing loss, the development of his speech is often inhibited. At every stage of adulthood, from infancy to adulthood, children often face a series of challenges. Hearing loss will affect them in different ways, depending on where they will be and what they will be doing (at home, at school, while playing sports, etc.).
Signs of hearing impairment in children
Parents need to know the factors that affect the child’s hearing and the signs that symbolize possible hearing impairment in order to contact specialists as early as possible for timely treatment. In cases where the treatment is ineffective and the hearing impairment is irreversible, it is necessary to immediately begin the rehabilitation of the child.
Behavioral signs
The main thing that parents should remember is that hearing loss at an early age in the absence of hearing aids entails speech impairment in the child. He cannot learn to speak correctly or speak at all due to the fact that he does not hear or hears poorly the sounds of speech and therefore cannot reproduce them. Children’s hearing aid helps not only the child’s hearing, but also the development of his speech. Hearing and speech are two key aspects of a comfortable stay of a person (child) in society.
- You should always monitor how your child reacts to sounds. Lack of response may simply indicate a lack of attention at the moment. However, it can also indicate certain hearing impairments.
- Loud sounds do not cause a startle reaction in him.
- Your child is unable to hear a voice on the phone and / or is constantly changing the phone from one ear to the other.
- He turns on the TV or radio at an excessively high volume.
- Your child is very attentive to the speaker’s facial expressions.
- The child often asks again when contacting him.
Causes of hearing impairment in children
A child’s normal hearing can be impaired before birth, during infancy and during childhood due to various factors. Among the variety of manifestations of hearing impairment, experts distinguish between conductive and sensorineural hearing impairment.
Here are some factors that can cause hearing impairment in children:
- Sulfer: A sulfur plug can form and block the path of sound to the eardrum.
- Foreign bodies: Foreign bodies in the ear, usually round in shape, such as beads, pieces of food, can block the transmission of sound waves or damage the eardrum.
- Inflammation after bathing: This painful bacterial inflammation can cause swelling in the ear canal and temporary hearing loss.
- Inflammation of the middle ear
- Hereditary predisposition to sensorineural hearing impairment.
- Intrauterine infections such as: toxoplasmosis, herpes, rubella, flu, COVID 19, etc.
- Birth trauma to the fetus.
- Postponed childhood infectious diseases: rubella, influenza, measles, mumps, meningitis, scarlet fever, etc.
- Head trauma and Psychological trauma during fright, stress.
- Exposure to strong, harsh sounds, such as a firecracker explosion, constant exposure to loud sounds, such as from a player.
Hearing aids for children and infants
Hearing aids and special hearing protection for children are most important. When little explorers “can’t believe their ears”, there are excellent solutions for children and babies: Children’s hearing aids and hearing protection that are specially tailored to the needs of the little ones.
Leading manufacturers of the hearing industry are developing hearing aids for this age group with great care and trepidation. And this is not an easy matter, because children’s hearing aids must meet many requirements and take into account all the features of using hearing aids by small consumers.
Hearing aids for babies and children
When parents first learn about hearing problems in their children, the first reaction is despair and rejection. And this is understandable – everyone wants children to be healthy, but here hearing loss … The statistics add fuel to the fire, which suggests that most often hearing loss is a process, unfortunately, irreversible. But, fortunately, there is a way out even from this situation – hearing aids for children!
- Robust technology for the ear
- Hearing aids for children should be easy to use.
- Child-friendly hearing aids designs
- The sooner your child gets a hearing aid, the better.