Can Children Get Hearing Loss?

Just like adults, children can also get hearing loss. However, the source of their hearing loss is often different from that of adults. Current estimates suggest that more than 34 million children worldwide suffer from some kind of hearing loss, making it a relatively common global problem.

Sometimes parents do not immediately discover that their child has hearing loss; it only becomes apparent when they get older. It is essential to deal with childhood hearing loss as soon as possible as it can interfere with regular language development. The sooner that you can get treatment, the more than can be done to ensure that the child gets on a regular developmental trajectory. Early treatment can often partially or fully restore any hearing loss.

Why do children get hearing loss?

Children often suffer hearing loss for the following reasons:

• Illness. Many diseases which affect children do not strike adults with the same frequency. For instance, children in developed countries disproportionately suffer from diseases like measles, encephalitis, chickenpox and influenza. All of these conditions can affect the auditory system, leading to hearing loss.
• Injury. Injury can cause problems with the ear, from issues during birth to head injuries from contact sport. Many children suffer hearing loss after a concussion, exposure to loud noises and after taking some medications.
• Genetic hearing loss. Some children are born without the ability to hear. Although rare, it is often not possible to reverse these congenital conditions. The health of the mother can also affect the child’s capacity to hear. Mothers with preeclampsia or diabetes during pregnancy can cause hearing loss in their offspring.
• Otitis media. Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear. In adults, a tube called the Eustachian canal drains fluids from the middle ear into the nasal cavity, but in very young children, it is often not yet fully formed. Fluid can build up in the middle ear and catalyze infection. The fluid buildup and infection together can cause infection which can cause temporary hearing loss and occasionally, permanent damage.

How can you tell if a child has hearing loss?

Unless you knew that your child would be deaf from birth, then it’s likely that you, as a parent or caregiver, will be the first person to notice a problem. So what should you look out for?

Children with hearing loss don’t react to loud noises, they do not respond to your voice, and they make babbling noises that quickly taper off as if they cannot hear the sound of their own voice.

Infants with otitis media can also exhibit a range of other symptoms, including rubbing of their ears, failing to pay attention, not understanding instructions, having a temperature and complaining of ear pain.

What to do if you think your child may have hearing loss

Resolving hearing loss issues as quickly as possible should be a priority. The sooner the problem is fixed, the less the impact will be on the child’s development. Most hearing loss issues can be quickly managed or resolved by a medical professional or an audiologist, whether caused by infection, injury or a congenital condition.