People talking, a car driving by, music on the radio… most people take the diverse sounds of everyday life for granted, but for those with hearing loss, the story is very different. How can parents protect their children’s hearing? Dr. Alain Sabri, an ear, nose and throat specialist from the Mayo Clinic in the United States, shares some precious advice.
Get Good Prenatal Care
'If there is a family history of hearing loss, then it is important that the couple gets prenatal genetic counseling,' advises Dr. Sabri.
While pregnant, avoid exposure to people who have infections that could harm the developing baby’s hearing. 'German Measles, CMV [a virus] and Toxoplasmosis are the main ones,' explains Dr. Sabri, noting that pregnant women should be tested for such infections. (If you are still planning to conceive, it’s best to be tested now, so that you can receive any available necessary vaccines or treatment before getting pregnant.)
Dr. Sabri also explains that you need your doctor’s approval before taking any type of medication while pregnant, because some medications can damage the baby’s hearing. Once you’ve been blessed with a healthy child, here are some simple steps to take to protect his/her hearing for life:
Avoid Loud Noise
Being repeatedly subjected to loud noise can damage the auditory nerve that transmits sound from the ear to the brain, and once this nerve is damaged, it cannot regenerate. Dr. Sabri explains, 'If you’re exposed to a certain amount of noise for a certain amount of time, you can develop hearing loss, and it would be nerve-type hearing loss… Once you have it, you cannot fix it, and you will eventually need a hearing aid if it gets bad.' He advises, 'Very simply, avoid [children being in] very noisy environments for a long period of time. Don’t take them to places that have very loud music. Don’t let them hear the TV very loud.'
'If you start abusing a child’s ears early in life, then she/he’ll have more trouble, because it’s a cumulative process,' says Dr. Sabri, explaining that hearing loss happens slowly and may not be noticeable at first. The matter is more serious with young children, because speech is acquired from hearing, and that will cause speech-impairment.
Treat Ear Infections Quickly
Ear infections should be treated quickly, because they can damage the auditory nerve, the bones in the ears that help transmit sound, or the eardrum. 'Infections can eventually destroy hearing completely if not well treated and if they recur several times and are severe. Therefore it’s very important to diagnose the infection early on and treat the child appropriately,' says Dr. Sabri.
Parents should be aware that by smoking they are putting their child’s hearing at risk, because smoke causes more ear infections. Parents should also be aware that children in nurseries are more likely to get infections. 'They are in a confined environment, and they are carriers of a lot of bugs. You cannot avoid it but, you have to be extra careful,' says Dr. Sabri. You also shouldn’t send your child to nursery when he or she is sick, so that other children don’t get infected.
Be Careful with Medication
Some medications can damage a child’s hearing, so only give your child medicine with a doctor’s approval. 'Don’t go to the pharmacy without checking the validity of the medication with a doctor first,' Dr. Sabri says. When your pediatrician does prescribe medicine, ask about the side effects and read the pamphlet that comes with the medicine yourself so that you are sure what the side effects are.
See a Doctor Right Away
If you suspect that your child has a hearing problem, see a pediatrician or an ear, nose and throat specialist as soon as possible.
If a child is brought to him with a possible hearing problem, Dr. Sabri asks about the family’s medical history, about the mother’s pregnancy with the child, and about the child’s birth, since certain complications during delivery, like the baby not getting enough oxygen, can cause hearing loss. He also inquires about the child’s medical history, because factors like low birth weight, severe jaundice, childhood meningitis or frequent ear infections can damage hearing ability as well. A physical examination and medical tests help determine whether the child has a syndrome that may cause hearing loss.
Early intervention is very important, says Dr. Sabri, because 'the earlier hearing loss is detected, the more the chances of saving the hearing or avoiding the cause that’s making it worse.' He also explains that if a child does have hearing loss, a pediatric speech therapist can help the child with speech, and hearing aids can assist in the child’s hearing.
Signs of hearing loss
To detect a hearing problem in a child, 'the mother is the best guide,' says Dr. Alain Sabri, ear, nose and throat specialist. Dr. Sabri says that the following signs may indicate hearing loss. See a specialist right away if you feel there might be a problem.
· For babies: the child doesn’t turn in the direction of sound or react to sound.
· For toddlers: the child’s speech is not developing on time. 'For example, you expect a child of two years to make two-word sentences; at three years, [to make] three-word sentences, and at four years, four or five word sentences,' says Dr. Sabri as a general guideline.
· At a later age: the child turns the television up very loud or is not doing well in school
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