From birth, most children hear and hear sounds. In fact, they already perceive these sounds before they are born. The baby's ear is fully mature at 25 weeks gestation. However this does not happen to all babies, there are boys and girls who are born with a hearing loss in one or both ears. Therefore, it is important to detect deafness as early as possible.
Since 2007, the World Health Organization has promoted the International Hearing Day, which is commemorated every March 3, to promote early detection of any type of hearing impairment or problem that can be presented to people and children around the world.
Times to detect possible baby hearing problems
Although the baby has mature hearing from the moment of birth, it may take a while for it to be 100%. Some amniotic fluid may remain inside, and it takes several days to be absorbed. On babies are usually tested for hearing in the first month. The child moves his eyes towards your voice, he will distinguish and know the human voice from any other sound.
Before 4 weeks the baby already uses his crying to communicate with you, And he can do it because he hears and recognizes himself and your response to his cry. At about 6 weeks she begins to coordinate her sight and hearing. If you see that this relationship is not occurring, we recommend that the pediatrician make a more in-depth review of the child's hearing.
The babies they begin to learn to speak and acquire language in the first 6 months of life. They are able to detect many more sounds than adults. Before uttering a single word, he will have already babbled phonemes, and gurgles. In the first year you will focus on the phonemes of your mother tongue, which will be the one you listen to the most.
When to test my child's hearing?
The first hearing test will be done on the newborn baby, before leaving the hospital. If not, you should have it done before the first month. Hearing problems are treatable if caught early, ideally before a baby is three months old. And do not leave them as the child grows, hearing loss can occur at any time.
They can be used various methods of evaluating a child's hearing, based on their age, development, and health. There are two different tests to evaluate the hearing of babies, in both you must be at rest or asleep. The otoacoustic emissions test evaluates whether certain parts of the ear respond to sound. The other test, auditory response assesses the response to sound of the auditory nerve and brainstem, which carry sound from the ear to the brain.
La Hearing is a fundamental aspect of the child's social, emotional and cognitive development. Even a slight or partial loss can affect your ability to speak and understand language. If the interventions are early, Children with hearing loss develop language skills that help them communicate freely and learn actively.
Causes of a baby's hearing loss
Some most common causes The reasons why a baby has partially or totally lost hearing are: was born prematurely or with delivery problems, stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit, had a high concentration of bilirubin and needed a transfusion, received medications that can cause hearing loss, has a family history. You have had frequent ear infections, or meningitis or cytomegalovirus.
La conductive hearing loss is caused by interference in transmission of sound to the inner ear. Infants and young children sometimes develop conductive hearing loss from ear infections. This is usually mild, temporary, and treatable with medication or surgery.
La sensorineural hearing loss, it can be mild, moderate, severe or profound. Sometimes it is progressive and sometimes it is unilateral. It is related to malformation, dysfunction or damage in the inner ear, and, in rare cases, with problems in the auditory cortex of the brain.