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Developmental Milestones Of Hearing In Babies: How to Know if Your Baby Has a Hearing Problem?

Team AckoDec 5, 2024

By 20 weeks of pregnancy, your baby’s inner ear is fully developed, and babies are born with fully developed hearing. This means they can hear from the moment they are born. Babies use their ears to collect information about the world around them, which also stimulates brain development. Hearing problems can delay the development of voice, speech, and language skills. Hence, it is essential to identify hearing problems as soon as possible.

Contents

Milestones of Hearing in Babies
How Do I Know if My Child Has Trouble Hearing?
Causes of Hearing Loss In Children
Types of Hearing Loss in Children
Treatment to Cure Hearing Loss in Kids
Things You Can Do to Enhance Your Baby’s Hearing
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions

Warning Signs of Hearing Problems in Babies

Symptoms of identifying hearing loss can differ in babies, and the level of hearing impairment may vary. Warning signs are not always a cause of worry. Sometimes, a baby may not hear due to their surroundings. However, it is important to contact your doctor if you see any of the following signs.

1. Your baby doesn’t get startled by loud noises or doesn’t respond to music and videos.

2. Soft sounds don’t help in soothing your baby. While crying, your baby doesn’t become quiet even after hearing familiar voices.

3. Even after two months, your baby doesn’t try to speak, or utter vowels like “ohm.”

4. Your baby either doesn’t turn their eyes or head towards a sound or remains asleep despite loud voices and noise nearby.

Milestones of Hearing in Babies

Most babies undergo a hearing screening test before being discharged from the hospital. Those who fail the screenings are immediately referred to specialists for further diagnostic tests. According to the doctors and experts, the list mentioned below is the age-appropriate hearing milestones for babies.

Age Range	Hearing and Language Development Signs
Birth to 3 Months	- Surprised reaction to loud sounds - Soothed by soft noises - Woken by loud noises - Turns toward sounds - Calms down to familiar voices - Smiles in response to voices
3 to 6 Months	- Turns to new sounds - Imitates familiar voices - Scared by loud noises - Responds to tone changes - Repeats sounds like "ooo" and "aaa"
6 to 10 Months	- Babbles when alone - Reacts to their name - Follows simple requests like "come here" - Recognizes common words (e.g., "hi," "bye") - Recognizes father’s voice (8 months)
10 to 15 Months	- Follows one-step commands with gestures - Enjoys hearing their own voice - Plays hide and seek - Points to familiar objects - Begins using single words
15 to 18 Months	- Knows 20+ words - Points to body parts when asked - Uses words more frequently - Understands simple directions - Begins speaking in short sentences
18 to 24 Months	- Enjoys being read to - Points to pictures when asked - Understands yes/no commands - Uses simple phrases
24 to 26 Months	- Understands action commands (e.g., "walk," "jump") - Differentiates sizes (big/small) - Follows two-step commands - Understands concepts like "not now," "no more"

How Do I Know if My Child Has Trouble Hearing?

From the moment babies are born, they pay close attention to the voices, and they respond to familiar ones. Their hearing would be fully developed by the end of the first month. However, if you suspect your child might have trouble hearing, watch for these signs.

Unresponsive to sounds: Your child doesn’t respond when you call their name or when there are loud noises around them.
Delayed speech development: A toddler may be slow to start talking, and older children may have trouble following simple instructions.
Trouble communicating: Your child frequently asks you to repeat yourself or seems disengaged during conversations or activities that involve listening.
Turning up the volume: Older children may speak too loudly or insist on watching TV or videos at a high volume.
Difficulty in noisy places: Your child may appear frustrated or uncomfortable in loud, busy environments.

If any one of the following signs appears, seek out a paediatrician or audiologist to have them professionally assessed. Early intervention might work in support of the child's communication and development.

Causes of Hearing Loss In Children

Hearing loss in children can be due to genetics, infection during pregnancy, frequent ear infections, noise exposure, complications after early birth, or certain medications. Understanding these factors helps parents and caregivers recognise early signs, seek proper medical advice, and support their child’s language and social development. Let us explore these causes in depth:

1. Genetic factors: Children often hear poorly due to genetic disorders passed along through the family lineage. Some may be born with a structural anomaly in the ear. In other cases, inherited conditions such as Usher Syndrome (a rare genetic disorder that affects both hearing and vision) and Waardenburg Syndrome (a rare genetic disorder involving hearing loss and pigmentation changes of the skin, hair, and eyes) could lead to hearing loss that is apparent at birth or develops over time.

2. Infection during pregnancy: Rubella, cytomegalo-virus (CMV), and toxoplasmosis infections are among other causes of hearing loss in the baby. Such infections can impair the inner ear structures or the auditory nerve system. This usually results in permanent hearing impairment during or just after birth.

3. Frequent ear infections: Kids in early childhood can experience recurring ear infections, and this goes on to cause hearing loss. Fluid in the middle ear can temporarily lead to impaired hearing, and frequent infections may cause long-term damage if not treated properly.

4. Noise Exposure: Prolonged exposure to loud noises such as music, machinery, or fireworks can damage sensitive structures in the ear. A single exposure to extremely loud sounds, like a gunshot or an explosion next door, may cause permanent hearing loss.

Types of Hearing Loss in Children

A lot of factors may bring about hearing defects in children. Such defects alter a child's ability to hear and pick up sounds. It is paramount to understand each type of hearing loss to enable early detection and treatment. Here are the types:

1. Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss arises through interrupting outer or middle ear sound transmission. The common causes of this condition include infections, fluid, or earwax in the ears. In many cases, the causes can be medically treated, such as through antibiotics or minor surgery.

2. Sensorineural Hearing Loss

This condition occurs because of inner ear or auditory nerve damage. It is common because of genetic factors, head injuries, or infections. Its tendency is permanent, although its control may be offered through hearing aids or cochlear implants, depending on the severity level.

3. Mixed Hearing Loss

Mixed hearing loss is the combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Children suffer from problems in the middle or outer ear and inner ear or auditory nerve. The treatment may include combinations of surgeries and other devices to help a child hear properly.

4. Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory Processing Disorder, abbreviated as APD, refers to a condition in which an individual, despite normal hearing, cannot process sounds correctly. APD often causes children to have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. Treatment involves auditory training and therapy to improve sound processing skills.

Treatment to Cure Hearing Loss in Kids

When a child faces hearing loss, timely treatment is required so that he or she can keep on refining his or her communication skills and development. The degree of hearing loss and its form will influence the use of a wide range of interventions to help children better sense and respond to their surroundings. Let's look at the most common treatments:

1. Hearing Aids

Hearing aids amplify sounds for children who experience mild to moderate hearing loss so they can hear better. Today's hearing aid technology is discreet, adjustable, and compatible with FM use in noisy settings, such as the classroom.

2. Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants help children with severe or profound hearing loss, bypassing damaged parts of the ear and stimulating the auditory nerve directly. They work well when implants occur early in life, thus supporting language development and improving comprehension over time.

3. Speech Therapy

Speech therapy helps children with hearing loss develop communication skills, whether using hearing aids, cochlear implants, or sign language. Early therapy supports speech articulation, language understanding, and social communication, which are crucial for academic and emotional growth.

4. Surgical Intervention

Surgical intervention can treat conductive hearing loss, including procedures to eliminate fluid accumulation, repair a perforated eardrum, or correct any structural anomaly. For those with recurrent ear infections, ear tubes or drainage systems can offer more permanent relief.

5. Early Intervention Programmes

For children with hearing loss, there must be early intervention programmes from infancy through preschool that encourage support. These programmes include language development, speech therapy, fitting of hearing devices, and parental guidance to ensure the child does well at school and among peers.

Things You Can Do to Enhance Your Baby’s Hearing

1. Talking, reading, and singing help your baby develop hearing.

2. Constantly speaking to your baby helps in bonding with the child and also with language development.

3. Use a sing-song voice to get them attuned to different tones and patterns of speech.

4. Introduce them to nature’s noise while walking or playing on the balcony. Let them enjoy the sounds of everyday life.

5. Keep constantly describing to them what they are hearing. This will help create better connections regarding their surroundings and make associates sound better.

6. You may notice how your baby seems to enjoy particular music as they develop their own preferences. They often get amused by the sounds of a clock ticking and wind chimes.

7. Keep interacting with your kid in new and fun ways. Try varying the pitch of your voice as you read to make it more fun for them. The more they hear, the more they will learn to talk.

Conclusion

Understanding your baby's hearing milestones and being vigilant about potential hearing problems is crucial for their overall development. Hearing plays a significant role in speech, language, and cognitive growth, so early detection of issues can make a lasting difference. Regular hearing screenings, observing age-specific milestones, and consulting professionals if concerns arise can ensure timely intervention. By fostering a rich auditory environment and seeking appropriate treatment, you can support your baby’s hearing health and promote their lifelong learning and communication abilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here’s a list of FAQs about Developmental Milestones Of Hearing In Babies: How to Know if Your Baby Has a Hearing Problem

1. At what age do I test my baby's hearing?

Newborn hearing screening should be the assessment at birth, which is already a standard in most hospitals. If the newborn passed the initial screening but you suspect a hearing issue later, schedule a follow-up with an audiologist.

2. At what age do infants usually begin to respond to sound?

Babies can hear sounds inside their mothers' wombs, though they hardly react to external sounds until around 3-4 months. They'll turn their head towards sounds or voices. If they do not, it may indicate a hearing problem.

3. What do I do if I suspect my baby has a hearing problem?

Please schedule a test by an audiologist as soon as possible if you suspect any hearing problems. The sooner the diagnosis and intervention, the better your child's language development and general communication will be.

4. Do ear infections cause problems with hearing in babies?

Yes. Infection or fluid buildup in the middle ear resulting from frequent infections can cause temporary hearing loss. Once treated, this kind of hearing loss is reversible. However, frequent infections may result in long-term hearing-related problems. So, it's always a good idea to monitor your child's hearing.

5. How will I know if my baby is hearing normally?

Normal-hearing babies typically jerk or react to loud noises, identify voices, and turn toward sounds by 6 months. If your baby doesn't show these reactions, it's time to ask a healthcare provider for further evaluation.

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