Childhood hearing loss: Early identification & intervention is the key to success

Hearing is one of the most important senses that facilitates communication, social interaction and allows us to participate in daily activities.

For children, hearing is the key aspect to learn spoken language, perform academically and engage socially.
Hearing loss in children can occur at any time of life. The two types of hearing loss in children are:

• Acquired hearing loss (occurring after birth): Appears when the child is a toddler or enters school, or even later due to illness, recurring ear infections, head injury, certain medications, and exposure to loud noises.

• Congenital hearing loss (present from birth): Hearing loss at birth may be due to genetics factors, premature birth, low birth weight, lack of oxygen known as birth asphyxia, and neonatal jaundice.

Most types of acquired hearing loss can be managed medically or surgically. Congenital hearing losses are frequently permanent and can adversely impact in the following ways:

• Impair a child’s ability to learn speech & language

• Below-average academic performance

• Low self-esteem and psycho-social issues

Hearing loss in children is usually identified only after the child’s caregiver notices unusual behavior or speech delays, approximately at two or three-years-old which exceeds the critical time period for a child's speech and language development.
Children who receive intervention for hearing loss by 6 months of age develop on par with age-appropriate speech & language skills, academic achievement, and social and emotional development.
An early hearing loss diagnosis enables parents and families to pursue intervention such as hearing devices, cochlear implants, rehabilitation as promptly as possible.

The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) program recommends that every child should undergo screening at 0 months/ birth and detect hearing loss by 3 months and starts rehabilitation by 6 months of age.

At Sakra the ENT hospital in Bangalore, we believe that a proactive approach to hearing health should begin at birth. The protocol followed at Sakra for hearing loss treatment in Bangalore is compliance with the recommended UNHS guidelines. We are equipped with efficient screening & diagnostic tools to identify and rehabilitate children with hearing loss.

You need to consult ENT specialist in Bangalore  immediately if:

• There are any parental concern about a child’s hearing

• A child has any global delays or speech and language delays

• Attention problems

• Frequently asks for words to be repeated

• Has trouble following directions

• Has a delayed reaction or doesn’t respond when called upon

Looking for the best ENT specialist for congenital hearing loss treatment in Bangalore then Consult Sakra World hospital which offers you the best services and treatments for all your ENT conditions.