To identify if the baby is not listening properly, parents, family members or kindergarten teachers should be alert to some warning signs, which include:
Newborn up to 3 months old
- Does not react to loud sounds, like a falling object near or a truck passing in front of the house;
- He does not recognize his parents' voices, so he does not feel calm when his parents talk to him;
- Do not wake up when talking loudly close, especially when there was silence in the room.
Baby between 3 and 8 months old
- It does not look towards the sounds, when the television is turned on, for example;
- It does not make what kind of sound with the mouth;
- Does not use toys that make more noise, such as rattle or toys with sounds;
- It does not change behavior or expression when saying 'no' or giving an order with the voice.
Baby between 9 and 12 months old
- Does not react when the baby's name is said;
- Does not respond to music, dancing or trying to sing;
- Words do not say simple expressions like 'ma-ma' or 'da-da';
- It does not recognize words for simple objects like 'shoe' or 'car'.
It is important to identify hearing problems in the baby in the first 6 months of life, because the sooner the problem is diagnosed, the earlier treatment can be initiated and thus avoid developmental problems, especially speech and social skills of the child .
Usually, the baby's ability to hear is still evaluated in the maternity ward with a deafness test, called the ear exam, which helps the doctor check the baby's hearing and detect some degree of deafness early. Here's how it goes: Ear test.
However, the baby's hearing may be perfect after birth but shortened up to a few months after birth due to ear lesions or infections such as chicken pox, mononucleosis or meningitis, for example. Thus, parents should be aware of other signs that may indicate that their baby has problems in hearing.
What to do to not impair your baby's hearing
Although most cases of childhood deafness can not be avoided because it is caused by genetic alterations, there are other cases, especially of hearing loss after birth, which can be avoided. So some important tips include:
- Avoid inserting objects into the baby's ear, even swabs, as they can cause lesions inside the ear;
- Be aware of signs of ear or flu infection, such as foul smell in the ear, fever, coryza or refusal to eat, for example;
- Avoid exposing the baby to very loud sounds, especially for a long time.
In addition, it is very important to give all vaccines of the National Vaccination Program, to avoid the development of infections, such as chicken pox or meningitis, that can cause deafness.
Here are the treatments used to treat childhood deafness in:
- Know the main treatments for children's deafness
