Hearing problems are one of the main causes for poor language development and can easily be undiagnosed till it manifest in later childhood. The key in treating these conditions is the early diagnosis as well as early intervention. In order to do this, all children needs to be screened at some point of time through screening mechanisms as well as being aware of certain signs as symptoms.

What are the signs of hearing loss in young children?

In infants, hearing loss can be suspected if the baby does not startle, turn the head towards a noise, wakes up due to a loud noises, cannot be soothed by voice, does not babble, poor response in pointing towards familiar faces...etc.

The condition may precipitate in a older infant or in a child as poor response to environmental stimuli, not responding to the first call, not locating the origins of sound, not watching TV or watches TV or listen to the radio with high volume, poor in making sounds as well as in imitating words as other children.

The school going children can be detected by their teachers due to their poor school performance and language skills as well as their overly reactiveness or frustration.

How do you screen neonates and infants?

All new born babies are screened using a simple test called Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test or the automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) test. In OAE, a mike is placed in the ear and the response made to soft clicks will be recorded. The test detects abnormal responses from the inner ear. The AABR would detect brain activity for sounds given through ear phones.

What are the tests that can be performed if hearing deficiency is suspected?

Two more tests are being used for infants of more than 6 moths of age and these are the Diagnostic ABR and Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA). The VRA make use of visual stimuli to reinforce the turning of a child towards sound stimuli.

Elder children can be tested through Conditioned Play Audiometry (CPA) and will make use of play activities of the child in response to a specific sound.

When these kinds of facilities are not available distraction tests can be performed by the health care worker in order to screen for hearing deficiencies.

What can cause hearing problems in children?

There are two types of hearing losses.

Sensorinural hearing loss Conductive hearing loss

Sensorineural hearing impairment can result from many causes and could be congenital or acquired. The congenital defects are mainly associated with cochlear disorders.

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