What Should I Look For
Before 6 months, it’s common for a baby’s eyes to appear “crossed,” but after 6 months his eyes should begin to work together to focus on an object. If you notice one of baby’s eyes drifting off to the side, especially when he is tired, call your pediatrician and let her know. Other signs of vision problems are tilting his head to see an object or bringing it very close to his eyes, sensitivity to light, chronic redness, and tearing. Older kids may complain of headaches.
Should You Avoid Loud Noises While Pregnant
In most cases, theres no reason to avoid a loud situation whether its a concert youve been anticipating for months or an especially raucous baby shower.
The physical barrier of amniotic fluid muffles sounds and makes it harder for babys ears to do their job of listening in. Even very loud noises for you wont sound loud to your baby.
That said, loud noise while pregnant could potentially cause some developmental damage or hearing loss in a growing baby when its prolonged and repeated.
Generally speaking, that means you should avoid eight hours of exposure to continuous noises louder than 85 to 90 decibels or more than two hours a day of noises louder than 100 decibels .
If you work on a noisy factory floor for a full shift, for example, it’s worth talking to your boss about the possibility of transferring temporarily to a quieter setting.
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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Pays Attention To Vibration Sounds
Things that can vibrate, such as your cell phone or a dryer make noises when they vibrate. Some babies who have a hearing impairment will respond to these sounds and not others. The reason is because another properly working sense is assisting their ability to hear. You will often hear that people who are blind have better hearing. That is not actually factual. What is happening is that they arent hearing any better than you or I, they just rely on that sense more and may pick up sounds everyone else doesnt.
There was a story circling social media of a little boy who was blind had taught his brain to see by making a clicking noise with his mouth. This noise would bounce off objects around him and it would allow him to see. It kind of works the same way. The item vibrates and that sound can be heard by a child who has hearing problems.
What Does It Sound Like In The Womb
Sounds travel best through open space, which is why you can hear someone yelling more easily in an open field than when your head is underwater in a pool, for instance. And your baby isnt exposed to open air when shes still growing inside you: Theres amniotic fluid surrounding her, plus all the layers of your body and the amniotic sac, between her and the world. So even when her ears are fully developed, the sounds she hears in utero are muffled.
Try this for fun: Put your hand over your mouth. Have your partner do the same. Then carry on a conversation. Thats more or less what voices sound like to your baby in the womb. Youll notice that although you can make out the tones and pitches of a sentence, you might not be able to understand some words.
Similarly, try singing a song with your mouth covered and youll hear that the tune comes out loud and clear, but not the lyrics.
The louder a sound, of course, the more likely your baby can hear it. A barking dog, honking horn or wailing siren is going to sound more distinct than quiet background music but thats not necessarily a bad thing. The sounds your cutie gets used to in utero will be less likely to startle her after shes born.
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Doesnt Respond To Sounds Music Or Voices
Different sounds, music or people talking should always get the attention of a newborn, and why not, they have never heard these sounds before. Think how alarming it would be to be thrust into a world and hear all the sounds around for the first time. When you think about, it can be quite terrifying and overwhelming as our world is a very loud place.
A newborn should respond to these noises. If a cell phone rings, a car is honking or if people are talking loudly, there should be some reaction from the little one. Whether it means they just turn their head or they start to cry. A reaction is key. We dont recommend making loud noises to ensure that your little one can hear, but pay attention to how your baby reacts when your dog barks or a cars alarm across the street is going off.
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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How Can I Help My Child With Hearing Loss Develop Language Skills
When interventions begin early, children with hearing loss can develop language skills that help them communicate freely and learn actively. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures that all children with disabilities have access to the services they need to get a good education. Your community may also offer additional services to help support your child.
Your babys health care team will help you find services and methods to overcome communication barriers. You may also be referred to a speech-language pathologist or a teacher who is experienced in working with children with hearing loss. Talk to and communicate with your child often and stay up-to-date with all health care appointments.
What If My Baby Did Not Pass The Hearing Screening
Additional testing is the next step to tell if your baby has hearing loss and what type of loss it is. A healthcare professional trained to test hearing, such as an audiologist, will be able to perform more detailed hearing tests. Your babys doctor should perform or order any medical tests needed to find out the cause of the hearing loss.
Making sure your baby gets this additional testing quickly is also important. CDC-funded research shows just how important it is. Children with hearing loss who are identified before 3 months of age, and receive services before 6 months of age, have better vocabularies than those identified or receiving services later. For more information about this research, visit Giving Every Child the Gift of Words
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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.
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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How Is The Newborn Hearing Test Done
The newborn hearing test is called the automated otoacoustic emission test. It takes just a few minutes.
A small soft-tipped earpiece is placed in your baby’s ear and gentle clicking sounds are played.
It’s not always possible to get clear responses from the 1st test. This happens with lots of babies, and does not always mean your baby has permanent hearing loss.
It could mean:
- your baby was unsettled when the test was done
- there was background noise
- your baby has fluid or a temporary blockage in their ear
In these cases, your baby will be offered a 2nd test. This may be the same as the 1st test, or another type called the automated auditory brainstem response test.
The AABR test involves placing 3 small sensors on your baby’s head and neck. Soft headphones are placed over your baby’s ears and gentle clicking sounds are played. This test takes between 5 and 15 minutes.
These tests will not harm your baby in any way.
Doesnt Seem To Enjoy Sound Toys
I know a lot of people hate the toys that make a lot of noise. Usually they are given as gifts by very loving aunts and uncles. I personally dont mind them. My daughter, however, loves them. Anything that makes noises or shakes or can be used as a musical instrument is her favourite toy. The reason these are her favourite things is because she enjoys the sounds they make.
If your child does not enjoy these toys, it doesnt necessarily mean there is anything wrong. They could just have different interests. This would be very rare as babies all over the world love toys that light up and make noise. If a baby doesnt seem to enjoy toys that sing, ring or ding it could indicate that they actually cant hear the noises the toy is making. Watch your baby interact with toys that make noise and see if they smile, or at the very least seem somewhat engaged in the noise the item is making.
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How Do You Know If Your Baby Has Hearing Loss
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all babies get screened for hearing loss before theyre 1 month old. Most babies get their hearing checked as part of newborn screening before they leave the hospital after birth. Newborn screening checks for serious but rare and mostly treatable health conditions at birth. It includes blood, hearing and heart screening.
If your baby doesnt pass her newborn hearing screening, it doesnt always mean she has hearing loss. But she needs a full hearing test as soon as possible before shes 3 months old. A full hearing test can help your babys health care provider diagnose hearing loss.
If your baby has hearing loss, getting treatment right away is important. Every state has an Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program that works to help children with hearing loss and their families. It can help with full hearing tests and other services for your baby. You can find your local EHDI program through the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management website.
Can A Fetus Hear Their Mothers Voice
The environment in the womb presents a wide range of sensory stimuli. The voice of their mother is possibly the most important of all. Studies show that fetuses may be able to differentiate between the voice of their mother when it is played by a loudspeaker placed on the mothers abdomen and the voice of their mother that is produced by her normal speaking.
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What Can My Baby See
Your baby sees things best from 8 to 12 inches away. This is the perfect distance for gazing up into the eyes of mom or dad . Any farther than that, and newborns see mostly blurry shapes because they’re nearsighted. At birth, a newborn’s eyesight is between 20/200 and 20/400.
Their eyes are sensitive to bright light, so they’re more likely to open their eyes in low light. Don’t worry if your baby’s eyes sometimes cross or drift outward . This is normal until your baby’s vision improves and eye muscles strengthen.
Give your baby lots of appealing things to look at. After human faces, bright colors, contrasting patterns, and movement are the things newborns like to look at most. Black-and-white pictures or toys will keep your baby’s interest longer than objects or pictures with lots of similar colors.
When quiet and alert, your baby should be able to follow the slow movement of your face or an object.