Most babies have their hearing screened in the hospital shortly after birth. If your baby’s hearing was not tested, your pediatrician should refer him/her for a newborn hearing screening as soon as possible. Early detection of hearing loss is very important to a child's development of spoken language; the most critical period for acquiring language is from birth to 3 years of age. Early management of hearing loss is essential not only to a child's speech and language development, but also to his/her social and academic development. Some hearing problems are temporary and can be improved with medical treatment. Those that are permanent may require the use of hearing aids and enrollment in an early education program to optimize learning and language development. Even though your baby had a newborn hearing screening, his/her hearing can be retested whenever there are concerns. Listed below are some concerns you might have for your child’s listening or development.
Children who have had many ear infections or who have other risk factors for hearing loss should also have their hearing tested.