6 Key Signs of Hearing Loss in Children

Today, approximately 1 to 4 out of every 1,000 newborns experience hearing loss. In our country, where approximately 1 million 290 thousand babies are born annually, this figure indicates that 1,500 to 2,000 babies with hearing loss are born. Moreover, this number increases further when hearing loss that develops later due to ear infections during infancy, fluid accumulation in the middle ear space, trauma, and certain medications is added to these figures. Thanks to treatments that achieve quite successful results today, children can acquire hearing and speech abilities. Prof. Dr. Nazım Korkut, Specialist in Otorhinolaryngology at Acibadem Maslak Hospital, emphasized that early diagnosis is extremely important in achieving effective results from treatment. Korkut stated, "However, symptoms can sometimes be overlooked, particularly in cases of hearing loss in a single ear. For this reason, parents should be aware of the signs of hearing loss and should consult a physician without delay when they notice it."

Hearing Center Goes Blind If Not Stimulated with Sound in Early Years

In our country, hearing screening is performed on every newborn before discharge from the hospital. The purpose of hearing screenings is to quickly identify babies born with hearing impairment and to provide necessary intervention to those diagnosed with hearing loss before they reach 6 months of age. However, hearing loss can also develop later in some children due to factors such as fluid accumulation in the middle ear space, middle ear inflammation, and trauma. Therefore, it is extremely important for parents to be attentive to signs of hearing loss. This is because the first 4 years constitute a very critical period in the acquisition of language elements. Prof. Dr. Nazım Korkut, Specialist in Otorhinolaryngology, stated: "If the hearing center is not stimulated with sound in early years, it goes blind. In children with undetected hearing loss, if this period passes without treatment, treatments performed later unfortunately are not as effective as they were before age 4. Furthermore, in cases of severe hearing loss where cochlear implants are the only solution, if children do not benefit from this device until a certain age, they will fall into the deaf/mute category, whereas children who use this device can continue their education and social lives in the same class as their peers. For this reason, the earlier the problem is identified and the child is included in necessary treatment and rehabilitation programs, the more these negative effects can be minimized."

Attention! If your child has even one of these signs…

In children who are too young to express hearing loss, paying attention to certain signs is very important for early diagnosis. Prof. Dr. Nazım Korkut, Specialist in Otorhinolaryngology, states that if any one of the 6 signs listed below is present, a physician must be consulted.

• If the child cannot notice people speaking outside their field of vision,
• If the child does not respond to high-volume sounds,
• If the child looks frightened or surprised when noticing their name being called, regardless of noise level,
• If the child sits close to the television even when the sound level is at a volume that other family members can hear,
• If the child wants to increase the volume of the television or music devices to higher than normal levels,
• If the child does not respond to phone conversations or frequently switches ears.