Dr. Samantha Ann stressed the importance of raising awareness about the need for early intervention to identify and deal with hearing problems in infants and children as soon as possible.
The medical director of the Pediatric Ear and Hearing Disorders Program at Cleveland Clinic explained that the earlier children's hearing difficulties and problems are identified and dealt with, the more likely it is that the child's ability to speak, language and social skills will improve. maximum possible.
Dr. Anne added, “Comprehensive newborn hearing screenings are very important in detecting hearing problems and dealing with them early. Early intervention and trying to address the problems through fitting hearing aids or cochlear implants, for example, has proven to be beneficial. A clear positive effect in enhancing speech comprehension and improving language skills in children with hearing loss.
Dr. Ann was part of a new research review led by a team of specialists at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital and published last month in the Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, which supports proven evidence that early implantation of cochlear implants leads to Improved hearing outcomes.
before the age of 12 months
The team reviewed 17 studies covering 642 infants ages 2 to 12 months at the time of the implants and concluded that cochlear implants should be performed before 12 months of age, or as soon as the child is medically, audiologically and surgically fit.
This is due to the fact that this age constitutes an important period of time for children to acquire the ability to articulate and speak, and because performing transplant operations during this period is safer compared to later stages.
Dr. Anne noted that some children are born with hearing difficulties, while others may develop hearing problems later in life.
Signs of difficulty hearing or speaking include children not speaking quite like their classmates, or repeatedly asking for things.
"It is very important to inform the specialist when you suspect that there are any hearing difficulties in the child. Some problems may be temporary, more serious or even permanent, so it is important to act as soon as you notice the problem," Dr. Ann added.
Causes of temporary hearing loss
Dr. Ann pointed out that the problem of temporary hearing loss is often treated, and the possible causes of such problems include the following:
obstruction
Some children fail hearing tests administered by their schools.
In such cases, the parents must undergo new examinations of the child at the audiologist.
The cause could simply be excess earwax, but further investigations are important.
infection
Sometimes colds or viruses cause temporary hearing loss due to fluid buildup in the middle ear.
You will most likely notice this problem when the child starts going to daycare.
Congestion and fluid in the ear from the infection restrict movement of the eardrum.
When the infection and/or fluids clear up, hearing returns to normal.
shocks
If a child suffers a head trauma, the temporary hearing loss may be due to blood flowing into the middle ear, but if the blow causes a fracture to the temporal bone, where the inner ear is located, this may also lead to hearing loss.
The surgeon may not be able to fix this type of hearing loss.
Causes of permanent hearing loss
The expert indicated that there are many more serious problems that can cause permanent hearing loss in children, including:
Genetic factors
Certain inherited genetic syndromes and disorders cause hearing loss in children.
Ear abnormalities
Babies can be born with ear abnormalities, including deformed ears or narrow or blocked ear canals.
noise exposure
Noise greater than 85 decibels (most portable music players reach 100 decibels) can damage the tiny hair cells in the ear.
Short-term exposure to this type of noise can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss (the day after a concert, for example).
However, long-term exposure to noise can permanently damage hair cells.
shocks
If a child gets hit hard on the head, it can cause nerve damage.
Doctors cannot repair this damage, but treatment may include different types of hearing aids.
diseases
Sometimes encephalitis and meningitis can cause permanent hearing loss in children.
Dr. Ann recommends that parents speak to their pediatrician when they think their child has a hearing problem.
The doctor may request that the child be referred to an audiologist or ear specialist.
This procedure will help determine whether treatment is available, or if other steps can be taken to reduce the damage that hearing loss can cause to a child's development.
It is always best to find out the type of problem and its causes as soon as possible.