Why is Early Identification Important?
If the auditory channel is impaired or blocked, speech and language
may not develop properly. Since the first three years of life are
critical for normal speech and language development, every effort
should be made to identify hearing impairment during these early
listening years.
Identification of hearing loss in infants and children requires
careful observation, a thorough medical examination with an extensive
case history, and an audiological evaluation. Help identify young
children who may need a medical and/or audiological evaluation by
familiarizing yourself with the facts.
When and How to Evaluate
If speech and language development begins normally and then stops,
refer immediately for a hearing evaluation. A child of any age can
have an audiological evaluation. The evaluation technique used depends
upon the developmental age of the infant or child. Methods include
Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing at any age (including premature
infants), and Visual Response Audiometry (VRA), which is designed
to elicit consistent and reliable responses from only a few months
of age. Play Audiometry is used at around 2 1/2 years of age until
the child is able to respond consistently to the conventional evaluation
techniques used with adults. Our pediatric audiology team can help
decide which method is best for a child. In order to obtain complete
and accurate test results, children may need to be seen on more than
one occasion.
Early identification and assessment are the first steps in the successful
management of the hearing impaired child.
For information about identifying
hearing loss or to schedule an appointment, please contact us at:
High Risk Factors
Birth - 28 days:
- Malformations of the ear, nose or throat
- Rubella during pregnancy
- Rh incompatibility
- Family history of hearing loss
- Apgar score from 0 - 3
- Severe neonatal infections
- Meningitis
- low birth weight (under 3.3 lbs.)
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Ototoxic medications
- Severe respiratory distress and/or prolonged mechanical ventilation
(10 days or more)
29 days - 2 years
- Meningitis
- Presence of neonatal risk factors
- Head trauma
- Stigmata
- Ototoxic medications
- Neurodegenerative disorders
- Childhood infectious diseases associated with hearing loss (e.g.
mumps, measles)
A child who has had one or more of these conditions is considered "at
risk" for a hearing impairment and should have a comprehensive
audiologic evaluation by a pediatric audiologist.
Milestones of Normal Development
Some babies have a significant hearing loss due to unknown factors.
Use these developmental guidelines to watch for hearing and speech
milestones.
0 - 4 months: Stops movement or quiets in response to speech. Startles
to loud sounds. Moves eyes toward sound source. Arouses from light
sleep to sudden loud noises.
4 - 7 months: Begins head turn toward sounds and voices out of sight
(4 months) and turns head directly toward the sound source (7 months).
Smiles in response to speech. Looks in response to own name. Babbling
begins.
7 - 9 months: Turns to find a sound source out of sight. Gurgles
or coos to sounds out of sight. Intonation patterns heard in speech.
Comprehends "no." Babbles in multiple syllables.
9 - 12 months: Acquires first true word. Imitates sounds. Looks
at a common object when named. Responds to music. Understands simple
commands.
13 - 18 months: Uses sentence-like intonation. Perceives emotions
of others. Uses 3 - 20 words. Uses all vowels and consonants in jargon.
19 - 24 months: Uses more words than jargon. Asks question by rising
intonation at end of phrase. Comprehends about 300 words. Uses about
50 words. Produces animal sounds. Combines 2 words into phrases.
Listens to simple stories. |
