Silencing Whispered Misconceptions About Hearing Loss And Babies
by Julia Gregory
Amongst the oohs and the ahhs that are sure to come along with a newborn baby, if someone suspects that your new baby has hearing problems, you should get prepared. People do love new babies, but they also enjoy offering their subtle opinions and well-meaning advice about any issues they see. Hearing problems are not unheard of with newborn babies. In fact, about one to three newborn babies per 1,000 will have the common sensory problem of poor hearing. Before you start accepting advice, make sure you know how to sift through what you hear about hearing problems and babies.
Misconception: It only takes one simple hearing test to determine if a newborn has hearing problems.
Fact: It is not always true that hearing impairment can be discovered from an early age with just one test. In fact, your newborn baby may be given a series of test over the course of several months to determine if there is an issue. There are a lot of factors that can affect the results of the test given to infants including:
- Vernix from birth in the ear canals
- Inability to calm the baby during the test
- Excessive fluid in the ears
- The infant moving during the test
Misconception: You can perform hearing tests at home and find out if there are actually hearing problems.
Fact: People will tell you that you can tell if your infant can hear well by making loud noises and looking for a reaction. While it is true that these tests can show some signs of hearing loss, they do not always suffice for milder hearing impairments that may affect development down the road. For example, your infant may react to the loud sound of a clap, but your soft spoken voice may not be fully audible.
Misconception: Hearing loss is not that big of a deal when a baby is so small.
Fact: Even though hearing loss is fairly common with newborns, it is imperative that you have any suspicions addressed early with appropriate testing. Early diagnosis is the key to making sure that your child does not develop further issues or fall behind in speech development.
Your new bouncing bundle is sure to be pure joy, but sometimes all of the misleading advice can be overwhelming as a parent. Make sure you take some time to speak with an audiologist about hearing tests that may be available if you truly suspect your little one is having problems with hearing. Contact a clinic like Hearing Specialists of DuPage for more information.
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About Me
The decision to move one of my parents into assisted living was one of the most difficult I have ever made. I had extreme feelings of guilt that led to me being at the facility with my parent practically around the clock. It took a few months before I realized that I could not let my own life fall apart from the guilt I was feeling. I also learned that my parent was fine without me constantly hovering around. Since that time, I have had several friends express similar feelings of guilt. I started this blog to help others in the same situation understand not only their feelings about assisted living, but those of their parents.