In Brief

• Hearing loss is the reduced ability to hear sounds in the range of normal human speech.
• More than 7 million children have hearing loss, which can be present at birth (congenital) or can develop later in life (acquired).
• Crozer-Keystone physicians agree that communication with the child’s pediatrician and an early evaluation is key to providing the best care for a child.
• Parents should not be afraid to let their instincts guide them in asking for another evaluation when they are concerned about their child’s hearing.

Growing up with impaired hearing can have devastating effects on a child’s ability to speak and use language. That is why Crozer-Keystone otolaryngologists want to communicate the importance of early diagnosis of hearing loss in children.

All senses are important to children, but John Feehery, M.D., chief of the Section of Otolaryngology at Taylor Hospital, knows the effects that hearing loss can have on a developing child.

“We may think of vision as our most important sense, and the worst one to lose. But hearing loss, especially early in life, can be far more devastating because it can profoundly affect a child’s speech and language ability,” Feehery says.

Hearing loss is the reduced ability to hear sounds in the range of normal human speech. More than 7 million children have hearing loss, which can be present at birth (congenital) or can develop later in life (acquired).

“Hearing loss often is not diagnosed until a child is in their second year of life,” says Joseph Ardito, M.D., chief of the Section of Otolaryngology at Delaware County Memorial Hospital. “Unfortunately, studies have shown that when hearing loss is not detected early, an important time frame for developing speech and language skills has passed.”

Congenital Hearing Loss

Approximately 33 babies are born every day in the United States with a significant hearing loss. Research has shown that treatment has the best results when infant hearing loss is identified and intervention begins before the child reaches six months of age.

Risk factors for hearing loss in infants include:

• Family history of hereditary childhood hearing loss
• Bacterial meningitis
• Birth weight less than 3.3 pounds
• In utero infections (rubella, syphilis, herpes and toxoplasmosis)
• Apgar scores of 0-4 at 1 minute or 0-6 at 5 minutes
• Mechanical ventilation lasting 5 days or longer

“Early screening of deaf and hearing-impaired children is of critical importance,” says Kenneth Briskin, M.D., chief of the Division of Otolaryngology at Crozer-Chester Medical Center. “It is absolutely essential to provide them with the means to communicate with the world around them as soon as possible.”

Acquired Hearing Loss

Acquired hearing loss is a hearing loss that appears after birth, at any time in one’s life. This can be caused by the onset of a disease, a condition or an injury. Examples of conditions that can cause acquired hearing loss in children are:

• Chronic ear infections
• Meningitis
• Measles
• Encephalitis
• Chicken pox
• Influenza
• Mumps
• Head injury
• Noise exposure 

“As part of Better Hearing and Speech month in May, our goal is to make parents aware of their child’s hearing,” says Mahmoud Ghaderi, D.O., chief of the Division of Otolaryngology at Springfield Hospital. “If many of these conditions go untreated, temporary hearing loss can turn into permanent hearing damage.”

As a way to track a child’s hearing, typical developmental milestones in children with normal hearing are:

• 0 to 3 months – The child blinks, startles, moves with loud noises and quiets down at the sound of the parent’s voice.
• 4 to 6 months – The child turns his or her head to the side toward voices or other noises, and makes musical sounds (“ooh,” “ah”), and appears to listen and then respond as if having a conversation.
• 7 to 12 months – The child turns his or her head in any direction toward sounds, babbles and says “mama,” “dada” (though not specific to mom or dad).
• 12 to 15 months – The child points; uses “mama,” “dada” correctly and follows one-step commands.
• 16 to 18 months – The child uses single words.
• 19 to 24 months – The child points to body parts when asked, puts two words together (“want cookie,” “no bed”), and 50 percent of the child’s words are understood by strangers.
• 25 to 36 months – The child uses three- to five-word sentences, and 75 percent of the child’s words are understood by strangers.
• 37 to 48 months – Almost all of the child’s speech is understood by strangers.

Indications of hearing loss in older children can include:

• Listening to the television or radio at a higher volume than other children
• Sitting especially close to the television when the volume is adequate for others in the room
• Asking to have things repeated
• Having difficulty with school work
• Having speech and language problems
• Exhibiting poor behavior
• Being inattentive
• Complaining of difficulty hearing or blocked ears

Crozer-Keystone physicians agree that communication with the child’s pediatrician and an early evaluation is key to providing the best care for a child. Parents should not be afraid to let their instincts guide them in requesting further evaluation whenever they are concerned about their child’s hearing.

For more information, or to find an otolaryngologist who’s right for you, call 1-800-CK-HEALTH (1-800-254-3258).