Hearing Problems Among Babies And Children

Studies have found that two to three babies in every thousand births are at risk of being born with hearing problems and most babies with hearing problems are born to families with no history of deafness. 

According to the Audiology Officer, KPJ Bandar Maharani Specialist Hospital, Khadijah Azura Binti Salim, parents need to pay attention to the early symptoms of hearing problems in babies and children to enable early action to be taken.

Hearing is the main sense that is important for the development of a baby's communication and begins to form in the womb. Through hearing, a baby will also get a source of stimulation to build speaking, socializing skills and further form an understanding in the brain that is important in the learning process later.

"Children also have a golden age period from birth to three years to master all the early communication skills in the early stages of their lives," she said.

In the meantime, the study found that a normal baby will take approximately 10 to 14 months to say the first meaningful word. Khadijah added, optimal auditory stimulation at an early age is essential to ensure that a baby and child can build a solid foundation of communication.

"However, if there is a hearing problem, the path to the auditory brain will be blocked. Sound is unable to reach parts of the brain with sufficient quality. The auditory nerve cells in the brain cannot connect properly and limit the development of language-speech," she explained.

If there is concern by the parents about the child's hearing or speech development can also be one of the reasons to start the action of hearing examination. Therefore, if it is necessary to undergo temporary or permanent medical treatment, it is better to start early detection steps as soon as possible.

"Some hearing problems can be restored with medical treatment or surgery, but some also require the use of hearing aids."

"In addition to attending hearing rehabilitation sessions with audiologists, babies and children with hearing problems also need to attend speech therapy sessions to strengthen their mastery of communication skills," she explained.

This entire process is not short but also requires a high level of cooperation and understanding of realistic expectations from parents and families. Babies and children with hearing problems need constant support because a consistent environment with sound stimulation, especially at home, will create more effective recovery opportunities.