Did you know that:

• Four children in every thousand are born deaf or hard of hearing. Many more acquire hearing loss in childhood
• One in 50 infants in a neonatal intensive-care unit has a significant hearing loss.
• Infants who are born deaf will babble for a few months and then stop
• Parents usually suspect a hearing loss before a doctor diagnoses the problem
• Because of newborn hearing screening equipment in a growing number of hospitals, even newborns can be tested and fitted with hearing aids
• Diagnosis is often delayed by several months and this can result in delayed language development

What are the high-risk factors for hearing loss?

There are many risk factors that impact the potential for hearing loss. These factors are generally divided between neonates (birth – 28 days of age) and infants (29 days – 2 years of age). Children who have any of the listed risk factors below should receive a hearing test. The high risk factors for these two groups include:

Neonates

• A family history of hearing loss
• Congenital infections such as toxoplasmosis, syphilis, rubella, herpes viruses
• Croniofacial anomalies
• Low birth weight
• Severe janudice
• Ototoxic medications (e.g. aminoglycosides)
• Bacterial meningitis
• Severe depression at birth, which may include infants with Apgar scores of 0 – 3 at five minutes
• Prolonged mechanical ventilation (10 days or longer)
• Stigmata or other findings associated with a syndrome known to include sensorineural hearing loss (e.g. Usher’s syndrome)

Infants

• Parent's or caregiver's concerned about hearing, speech, language, or developmental delay
• Bacterial Meningitis
• Neonatal risk factors associated with progressive sensorineural hearing loss (e.g. cytomegalovirus)
• Head trauma
• Stigmata or other findings associated with syndromes known to include sensorineural hearing loss
• Ototoxic medications (e.g. aminoglycosides)
• Children with neurodegenerative disorders such as neurofibromatosis
• Childhood infections diseases known to be associated with senorineural hearing loss (e.g. mumps)

What is the impact of delayed diagnosis?
Late diagnosis of hearing impairment often results in major delays in the child’s speech and language development. Early diagnosis will mitigate the emotional and financial cost to the family—and for a lifetime to come—the emotional well-being of the child.

How old does a child have to be in order to be tested for hearing loss?
No child is too young to have a hearing test, and the ideal time is at the time of his or her birth. The younger the child, the more likely he is to benefit from professional treatment.