children s hearing a guide for parents
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introduction contents introduction communication milestones signs of hearing difficulties how we hear children s hearing hearing loss indicators what to do if you think your child has a hearing loss types of audiological evaluations technological solutions where to get help 3 4 6 8 10 14 16 17 18 19 building the future children are our future by giving them access to the wealth of sounds that enrich today s world we can help them to develop the auditory skills they need to build their future phonak has been committed to providing high-tech solutions for children with hearing loss for over 35 years innovative technology has enabled us to successfully meet growing needs many of the developments in the field of pediatrics have led the way for the progress of phonak hearing systems in general the trail of innovation continues and it remains a priority at phonak to help prepare today s children for tomorrow at the same time giving practical support to their parents hearing is one of a child
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communication milestones your child s speech and language development age developmental milestones 9 months demonstrate an understanding of simple words mommy daddy no bye-bye 3 to 5 years the cochlea which is the sensory organ of hearing attains full adult size and enables the child to hear by the 20th week of pregnancy this means that children can be exposed to the sound of their mothers and other voices even before they are born after birth a newborn child s cochlear sensitivity is similar to that of adults but babies must learn how to use their hearing to form the foundations of communication localization one of the earliest and easiest auditory skills to observe in your baby is localization the ability to pinpoint the source of a sound because we hear through two ears binaurally we can localize sounds with extreme accuracy observing your child s localization ability in general newborns will move or widen their eyes when they hear a loud sound this is known as the startle
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signs of hearing difficulties you should always be aware when your child does not respond appropriately to sounds sometimes a lack of response is attributed to inattention but it is important to determine if inconsistent or no responses actually stem from an inability to hear common signs that children may not be hearing normally · not aware someone who is out-of-view is talking especially when distractions are minimal · startled or surprised look when they realize their name has been called at a normal or even fairly loud level · using what or huh frequently · intently watching the faces of speakers · sitting close to the television set when the volume is sufficient for other family members · increasing the volume of the tv or stereo to unreasonably loud levels · not responding to voices over the telephone and/or switching ears continually · not reacting to intense loud sounds the single most important sign of possible hearing loss however is a lack or delayed development of speec
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how we hear understanding the basic anatomy and function of the ear will help you identify conditions that can affect your child s hearing the ear can be divided into three parts the outer middle and inner ear the outer ear the outer ear consists of the auricle also called the pinna the pinna collects and channels sound into the external ear canal auditory canal the ear canal amplifies the sound waves and further funnels them toward the eardrum tympanic membrane the middle ear the eardrum vibrates in response to the movements of sound waves entering the ear canal there are also three small bones ossicles in the middle ear these bones the malleus hammer the incus anvil and the stapes stirrup vibrate magnifying the movements of the eardrum and transmitting the motions to the inner ear the inner ear the cochlea is the actual sensory organ of hearing and is located in the inner ear the chambers of the cochlea are filled with fluid as the bones in the middle ear move in response to soun
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children s hearing there are conditions which may occur before birth during infancy or in childhood that may affect a child s ability to hear normally essentially there are two types of hearing loss conductive and sensorineural conductive hearing loss medically treatable conditions with a conductive hearing loss the inner ear functions normally but something affects the outer or middle ear hindering sound from reaching the inner ear conductive hearing losses are mild-to-moderate in degree and are usually temporary and treatable you can simulate a conductive hearing loss by plugging your ears with your fingers sounds from the outside are softer while your own voice actually sounds louder than normal the following are some common causes of conductive hearing loss earwax cerumen when wax becomes impacted in the ear canal it acts as an ear plug blocking sound waves from striking the eardrum excessive wax may be softened with wax-softening drops and flushed out or removed by a physician or
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otitis media with effusion ome fluid frequently follows an episode of acute otitis media ome occurs when fluid remains in the middle ear impeding ear drum vibrations and middle ear bone movement this can cause mild-to-moderate degrees of hearing loss in very young children this hearing loss may hinder spoken language development the treatment of otitis media with effusion is controversial sometimes the infection heals on its own or with the help of antibiotics or myringotomy to drain the fluid and other times it resists these conventional approaches if the infection persists and hearing loss is present ventilation or pressure equalizing pe tympanostomy tubes may be inserted to drain the fluid this can prevent the pressure build-up which can cause further ear infections tubes can restore normal hearing prevent persistent fluid build-up reduce the frequency of ear infections and prevent other serious ear complications sensorineural hearing loss treatable with modern technology sensorin
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hearing loss indicators outlined below are factors indicating that a child is at risk for a hearing loss if you are unsure about any of these conditions or are worried about your child s hearing consult a medical practitioner or audiologist newborns birth to 28 days · failure of newborn hearing screening · family history of hereditary childhood sensorineural hearing loss · in utero infection such as cytomegalovirus rubella syphilis herpes and toxoplasmosis · craniofacial deformities including those affecting the pinna and ear canal · birth weight less than 1500 grams approx 3,5 pounds · hyperbilirubinemia at a serum level requiring transfusion jaundice · ototoxic medications medicines that can damage hearing including aminoglycosides some antibiotics e.g gentamicin used in multiple courses or in combination with loop diuretics · bacterial meningitis · apgar general health scores of 04 at 1 minute or 06 at 5 minutes after birth · mechanical ventilation lasting 5 days or longer · fi
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what to do if you think your child may have a hearing loss types of audiological evaluations if you think a hearing loss may be present the first step is to ask your medical practitioner to refer your child for an audiological assessment this assessment will determine whether a hearing impairment exists and to what degree no child is too young to receive a thorough hearing evaluation today s technology even allows newborns to be tested for hearing loss while simple hearing screenings may be conducted by nurses or trained volunteers a complete assessment of hearing in a child should only be completed by an audiologist the purpose of the audiological evaluation is to determine if a hearing loss exists to what degree and to help discover what type test results are recorded on an audiogram if the results of the tests show that your child has a hearing loss remember that your child is living in an age where technology ensures that children with impaired hearing can grow up to lead full and
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technological solutions where to get help today there is virtually no hearing loss that cannot benefit from the use of appropriate technology after a clear diagnosis of hearing impairment appropriate technology should be chosen as soon as possible to ensure that your child can benefit early from auditory experience this technology may take the form of a cochlear implant with an electrode which is surgically implanted in the inner ear and an external processor this option is increasingly utilized in cases of severe to profound hearing loss in many cases however the most appropriate choice may be hearing instruments these amplify sound and can help children of any age the right choice of hearing instrument can help your child develop good communication skills a young child is usually fit with behind-the-ear bte style hearing instruments these hearing instruments come in a variety of bright cheerful colors and can help a wide range of hearing losses mild moderate and profound older child
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the swiss high-tech group is active in over 70 countries the phonak group is based in staefa switzerland and has been developing manufacturing and distributing a wide range of hearing systems for children and adults for over 35 years www.phonak.com more about hearing www.hear-it.org 028-0283-02/0801 printed in switzerland İphonak ag all rights reserved phonak listens to the needs of children with hearing impairment around the world phonak s experience with hearing instruments for children and developments in the field of pediatrics have had an impact on the development of phonak hearing systems overall by listening to the needs of children phonak has created a range to suit every hearing need since its foundation in 1966 as a two-man venture it is now a world leader in the manufacture of hearing instruments it employs over 2,000 staff worldwide.
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