The Impact Of Infant Hearing Loss On The Family
Along with stress, families are likely to experience a roller coaster of emotions, from sadness to fear and ultimately acceptance. After all, hearing loss affects every member of the family, as families are inherently communication-based.
Thus experts recommend a family-centered intervention for the highest level of success and emphasize creating an environment of learning and socialization as early as possible, preferably by about six months of age. Mandatory screening, diagnosis and intervention are the key to language development for infants with hearing loss, allowing them to develop language skills comparable with other children their age by about 1st grade.
The good news is that 47 states and the District of Columbia now mandate newborn hearing screening. The possibility of earlier diagnosis, better technology, greater medical advances,and more resources than ever before promise to make life easier for babies with hearing loss, as well as their families.
How To Prepare For Your Babys Full Hearing Assessment
Your baby must sleep during the assessment. Your baby should arrive for the appointment at the audiology clinic tired and hungry or the appointment may need to be rebooked. Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare for this visit:
- Avoid lotion on your babys head on the day of the test
- Keep your baby awake a few hours before and while travelling to the appointment
- Be prepared to feed your baby at the clinic just before testing begins
- Bring a blanket and items to feed or calm your baby and extra diapers and clothes
How Do You Know A Baby Is Mute
not making movements like pointing, shaking her head, or waving. doesnt practice employing a few consonants at least Does not comprehend or react to phrases like no and bye-bye is not pointing out interesting objects, such as a bird or an airplane in the sky.
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What Is Hearing Loss In Babies
Hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects. Although most babies are born with perfect hearing, between 1 and 3 in every 1,000 healthy babies in the United States are born with hearing loss.
Hearing loss in babies can range from mild where a baby can hear some sounds but not soft sounds of speech to inability to hear any sounds. Babies who need to enter the neonatal intensive care unit have a higher risk of hearing loss.
There are two types of hearing loss:
- Congenital hearing loss, meaning the baby was born with it, and
- Acquired hearing loss, meaning the baby lost hearing sometime after birth.
Most babies have their hearing screened just after birth. Because they rely on their hearing to learn from the beginning, it’s crucial to identify any hearing loss early so your child can get fit with hearing devices or receive other interventions that allow them to develop spoken communication. If your child has hearing loss, you’ll want to act quickly so they can learn to listen, talk, and read.
The best time for children with hearing loss to receive help is before they’re 6 months old. The sooner a child with a hearing problem is diagnosed and treated, the more likely they are to meet developmental milestones for spoken communication.
What Devices Are Used To Hear Babys Heartbeat
At your first scan, your doctor or an ultrasound technician will use a transvaginal ultrasound, or a 2D or 3D abdominal ultrasound.
The transvaginal ultrasound is used during early pregnancy to get a clear image of an embryo. A 3D ultrasound allows the doctor to better see the width, height, and depth of the fetus and your organs.
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Parent Options During Screening
States give parents options during NBS. Examples of choices that differ by state include the following:
- Whether and how to refuse NBSAll states require NBS, but most states let parents refuse screening for their baby. Accepted reasons for refusal depend on the laws in a state. For example, some states only let parents refuse NBS for religious reasons. Other states let parents refuse for any reason. A couple of states do not allow parents to refuse NBS at all.
- What happens with your newborns blood spots after NBSSome states give parents choices about what happens to their babys dried blood spots after screening is complete. For example, some states let parents choose whether the blood sample is stored, destroyed, or used for research studies.
You can find out about parent options in your state by contacting your states newborn screening program. Contact information for programs in each state is available on the State pages.
Can My Baby Hear Me
What you need to know about newborn hearing screenings.
Rachel Epsteins second child, Alana, was born in February 2001 with no apparent health problems. An uncomplicated delivery, Rachel had no reason to suspect that anything was wrong with her daughter. However, a newborn hearing screening soon discovered the unimaginable Alana was born profoundly deaf.
My husband and I had no reason to believe that Alana was deaf. We both have normal hearing and so does our older daughter, says Epstein. My pregnancy was normal and we knew of no hearing issues in our families. According to the American Academy of Audiology, most babies born with hearing loss are born otherwise healthy with no family history of hearing problems.
Each year, as many as three of every 1,000 babies born in the United States are born with hearing loss. Because your newborn cant tell you if he cant hear, it is important to have your babys hearing tested before you leave the hospital after giving birth, or shortly thereafter at an outpatient facility if your hospital does not offer newborn hearing screening. This will give your baby the best chance to develop speech and language skills.
What Should I Do?
Right away, be alert to any signs of newborn hearing loss, such as failure to be calmed by the sound of your voice. A new baby will also startle in response to a loud sound, says Dr. Alison Grimes, director of audiology at Providence Speech and Hearing Center in Orange, CA.
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How Can I Tell If My Toddler Is Deaf
Some possible signs of hearing loss in an infant or toddler
Your Baby Probably Had A Hearing Screening
Almost all states, communities, and hospitals now screen newborns for hearing loss before the babies leave the hospital. The hearing screening is easy and painless, and it can determine if more testing is needed. In fact, many babies sleep through the hearing screening, and the test usually takes just a few minutes.
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How To Tell If You Have Twins By Stethoscope
Pregnant women often wonder if they are carrying twins, and while there are several ways to find out for sure, one method is to listen for two heartbeats with a stethoscope. While this method is not foolproof, it can give you a pretty good indication if you are carrying more than one baby. Heres a look at how to tell if you have twins by stethoscope.
If you are expecting twins or another multiple, you will need to have an ultrasound scan. It is best to receive this ultrasound at 10-12 weeks of pregnancy. When you receive this information from your health care provider, they will be able to confirm the number of fetuses, placentas, and amniotic sacs in your body.
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Doesnt Try To Imitate
Babies love to copy mom and dad. They like to make the noises they make, they are learning language and there are no better teachers. By the time your little one is 6 months old, they should be making some attempt to imitate sounds being made to them. If your baby is not trying to imitate people around them, it could be because they cant hear them.
Now, if you are reading this and are going to test it out on your little one, there are a few important things to remember. They wont be able to imitate complex sounds. Try simple vowels like ah or oh. You can also try saying ma or da and see if you can sneak a first word out of them. Another thing to remember is that it takes a while for babies to process information. They usually wont imitate right away, you have to give their developing brain time to process the sound and work out how to make that sound.
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Are Babies Deaf When Born
Eosera Inc. Natalie Aylett Unfortunately and sadly, newborns are occasionally born deaf. About 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in either one or both ears, according to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Do Deaf Babies Sleep Better
Children who have hearing loss often go to bed at the same time as children who do not. Children with hearing impairments take longer to fall asleep while in bed. Children with hearing loss do not often wake up throughout the night more frequently than hearing children, but it is likely that once they do, they stay up longer.
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Some Possible Signs Of Hearing Loss In A School
- Does not follow simple commands, such as get your shoes, or understand simple directions
- Is easily frustrated or experiences communication breakdowns
- Is falling behind with speech and communication skills
- Cannot understand what you are saying unless they are looking directly at you
- Cannot identify where sounds are coming from
- Is exhausted at the end of school from concentrating to understand speech
- Shows signs of behavioral problems or social difficulties
- Experiences problems keeping up at school or grades slipping
Protect Yourself And Your Child From Noise
The best way to protect hearing is to avoid loud situations. When loud noises can’t be avoided, help reduce the risk of damage by:
- Wearing hearing protection like ear muffs, foam plugs, pre-molded ear plugs and ear canal caps.
- Wearing ear plugs for low-frequency noise and ear muffs for high-frequency noise.
- Having a complete air seal between the hearing protector and the skin, reducing noise levels by 15 to 30 decibels.
- Purchasing ear muffs for babies and young children.
- Limiting the use and volume level of personal listening devices like portable music players.
All babies in Ontario can have their hearing screened, either in the hospital or in the community. For more information call the Infant Hearing Program at 613-549-1232 or 1-800-267-7875, ext. 1145.
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My Child Has A Hearing Loss In One Ear
When you want your child to listen to you, choose a quiet place away from noises so they can hear you better. Position your child with their hearing ear directed toward the sound you want heard. When feeding your baby face their better hearing ear so it is exposed to sound. Stay close when talking to your child, but don’t shout. Being closer will make your speech louder. You may need to be even closer in a noisy room. Make sure your child can see your face when you are talking, so that they can see your lips and gestures. You may need to turn the lights on. Repeat and emphasise any key words when talking to your child. Make an appointment with an audiologist at Australian Hearing and ask about the latest appropriate listening devices that might help your child hear sounds more easily. Attend regular hearing checks with an audiologist at Australian Hearing or with your hospital audiologist. It is important that you know if there is any change in the hearing level in either of your childs ears. Children with hearing loss in one ear should have a hearing test every year. It is important to get treatment quickly for ear infections to reduce the amount of time your child will have additional hearing loss. Your childs hearing is very precious. Always use noise protection for both ears and avoid loud noise whenever possible. As your child begins to crawl and walk, be aware of safety, as your child may not hear warning sounds as easily.
When Is The Newborn Hearing Test Done
If you give birth in hospital, you may be offered a newborn hearing test for your baby before you’re discharged.
Otherwise it will be done by a healthcare professional, healthcare assistant or health visitor within the first few weeks.
You’ll be contacted by your local newborn hearing screening service to arrange a suitable time and venue.
Ideally, the test is done in the first 4 to 5 weeks, but it can be done at up to 3 months of age.
If you’re not offered a screening test, ask your health visitor, local audiology department or GP to arrange an appointment, or contact your local newborn hearing screening service.
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When Will We Get The Results
You’ll be given your baby’s hearing test results as soon as the test is done. If your baby has a clear response in both ears, they’re unlikely to have permanent hearing loss.
But the newborn hearing test does not pick up all types of permanent hearing loss. Children can also develop permanent hearing loss later on, so it’s important to check your child’s hearing as they grow up.
Heartbeat Changes Throughout Pregnancy
Throughout pregnancy, your babys heart will continue to develop. A fetal heartbeat starts at between 90 and 110 bpm during the first weeks of pregnancy. It will increase and peak at around weeks 9 to 10, between 140 and 170 bpm.
After that, a normal fetal heartbeat is considered between 110 and 160 bpmTrusted Source in the second and third trimester. Keep in mind, your babys heartbeat can vary throughout pregnancy and at each prenatal appointment.
Your doctor may be concerned if your babys heartbeat is too slow, too fast, or is irregular. If so, theres a rare chance your baby could have a heart condition. Thats why your doctor will monitor your babys heartbeat at every appointment.
If your doctor has any concerns about the development of your babys heart, they may schedule a fetal echocardiogram to further examine your babys heart.
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What Do I Need To Know
Hearing loss is the most frequent birth defect. It occurs in about 3 out of every 1000 babies born in the U.S. each year.
Many babies with hearing loss will startle or turn their heads to loud sounds. This does not mean the baby has normal hearing. Most babies with hearing loss can hear some sounds, but not hear well enough to develop normal speech and language.
The first months and years of a childs life are very important for developing communication. Children with undetected hearing loss are more likely to have difficulty developing language and may not do well in school. Even a mild hearing loss or hearing loss in only one ear has negative consequences if undetected. Before the advent of newborn hearing screening, research showed that children with hearing loss in one ear were ten times as likely to be held back in school compared to children with normal hearing.
This is why it is important to find out early if your baby has hearing loss. The only way to know for sure if your babys hearing is normal is to have his hearing retested with special equipment. If your baby has hearing loss, he will have the best chance for normal language development if he receives treatment by six months of age.
What Happens If There Is A Problem
If your baby does not pass the hearing test the first time, the test will be done again. The repeat test is usually done 12 to 24 hours after the first test.
If your baby does not pass the second test, they will be referred for a diagnostic audiology assessment. This assessment is done by an audiologist , ideally when your baby is 4 to 6 weeks of age so your baby can get support if hearing loss is diagnosed.
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Conditions With Overlapping Signs
Sometimes, other conditions may be confused with autism due to similar presentation. This symptom overlap can make diagnosis tricky. Also, some kids have ASD as well as other conditions.
For example. children who have delays in development may have immature social skills, which can be mistaken for autism, says Dr. Angulo. âWe would want to look at all areas of development to determine if this is just a social delay or delays across multiple areas or both.â
Some young children with ASD have a speech delay. However, many toddlers with speech challenges do not have autism. âThe quality of communication can help us to differentiate between ASD and isolated speech delay,â explains Dr. Angulo. âChildren with ASD may have limited eye contact, limited facial expressions, and/or limited social desire to communicate. These would not be impaired in children with an isolated speech delay.â
Children with anxiety may also look like they have ASD. âMany times, children with anxiety can be rigid in play, struggle with transitions, or have a strong interest in a comfort item,â says Dr. Angulo. âThese can be attributed to ASD symptoms, but would also need to have social difficulties, which is the hallmark of ASD.â