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Most children have normal hearing.
If they do not, it is very important that any hearing difficulty is identified and managed as soon as possible.
It is important that parents and carers are aware that it is possible to test a child's hearing from birth.
Why test my child's hearing?
| The myths |
The facts |
| Most children have normal hearing |
If they do not, it is very important that any hearing difficulty is identified and managed as soon as possible.
Good hearing is essential for the normal development of language and listening. |
| We will know if our child has a hearing problem |
This is not always the case. Too often, hearing loss is not identified until delay in speech and
language development is noticed. This is why early hearing testing is so important |
| You cannot test the hearing of very young children |
In fact it is possible to test a child’s hearing from birth |
If your child suddenly appears to hear less well, he or she may have a temporary hearing problem.
Check with your local doctor.
It is important that parents and carers are aware that it is possible to test a child’s hearing from birth. DO NOT BE PUT OFF BY BEING TOLD THAT YOUR CHILD IS TOO YOUNG FOR THEIR HEARING TO BE TESTED
What if?
| What if? |
It means: |
| My child passes a hearing test |
This means the child hears well at the time of the test. However, for a variety of reasons,
hearing can change over time. If concerns about your child’s hearing should arise at any time, you should arrange for his/her hearing to be reassessed. |
| My child does not pass a hearing test |
As well as a hearing problem, a child may not pass a hearing test because of such things as wax in
the ear canal or fluid in the middle ear. As it is best to identify and manage any hearing problem as soon
as possible, it is important to bring your child to any recommended follow-up appointments. |
Does my child need a hearing test?
The following information may help you decide if your child needs a hearing test.
Hearing risk factors:
- Were any of the child’s close blood relatives deaf or hard of hearing from birth?
- Was the child sufficiently jaundiced to require exchange transfusion?
- Was the child in intensive care for any length of time (several days)?
- Was the child’s birthweight lower than 1500 grams?
- Is there anything unusual about the appearance of the child’s head or neck?
- Does the child have Down’s syndrome?
- Has the child had bacterial meningitis?
- Did the child’s mother have an infection such as German measles (Rubella), toxoplasmosis, syphilis,
CMV (cytomegalovirus) or herpes, while pregnant?
Stages in hearing development:
Babies:
- Birth to eight weeks:
- Startles to sudden loud sounds.
- After being in quiet, may stir when a noise occurs close by (not necessarily the case in a noisy family!).
- By three to four months:
- Calms or quietens, if a noise occurs close by.
- Turns eyes, and begins to turn head, towards the source of a sound.
- By seven to eight months:
- Turns directly towards an interesting soft sound, or your voice, outside line of vision.
- Vocalises using different sounds and different pitches.
- Enjoys music and bounces, listens or babbles in response.
- By twelve months:
- Responds appropriately to his/her name.
- Responds to simple instructions, such as “no” or “wave bye bye”.
- By eighteen months:
- Turns directly to a range of sounds of varying loudness.
- Follows simple spoken directions.
Older children:
Once a child begins to talk s/he should:
- Continue to develop age-appropriate language.
- Actively participate in conversation.
- Respond to both soft & to loud sounds, as you expect (discount times when they might be distracted, e.g.. concentrating on a TV program).
Hearing should be checked if a child:
- Begins to babble, or talk, and then stops.
- Speaks in an unusually loud, soft, or monotonous tone.
- Consistently changes the telephone to the one ear
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