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What are the symptoms of hearing loss?

A baby typically achieves certain milestones during their speech and language development. When a baby or infant appears to have missed some of these milestones, it may indicate they have hearing loss. Some of the more typical milestones may include a failure to: be startled by a sudden, loud noise; by three months of age, recognize a parent's voice; by six months of age, turn their head or eyes towards a sound, and; by 12 months of age, imitate some sounds and producing a few words such as 'mama' or 'bye'.

FAQ Frequently asked questions

What is hearing loss?

Hearing loss is the partial or total inability to hear in one or both ears.

What causes congenital hearing loss?

Some of the more typical causes of congenital hearing loss include: infections during pregnancy; nervous system disorders; being born prematurely; a family history of hearing loss, and; complications during birth.

Who can develop hearing loss?

Around one in every 1000 births are affected by permanent bilateral hearing loss. Around half of babies born with or developing hearing loss do so with no previous risk factors.

How is hearing loss diagnosed?

In Australia, newborn babies are routinely screened to identify babies born with, or at risk of, developing hearing loss.

How is hearing loss treated?

Treatment of hearing loss varies depending on the cause and severity of hearing loss, and the age of the child, but early intervention measures may include hearing aids and support services.

Can hearing loss be prevented?

Hearing loss in newborns cannot be totally prevented, but there are things you can do to minimize the risk, including keeping childhood vaccinations up to date, and getting early treatment for ear infections.

Are there different types of hearing loss?

Hearing loss can be: conductive - caused by damage to the outer or middle ear; sensorineural - caused by damage to the inner ear structures, or; mixed - caused by a combination of both.

What increases the chances of developing hearing loss?

The following can increase the chance of developing hearing loss: 1) Congenital infections such as HIV, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, varicella, rubella, cytomegalovirus or herpes. 2) Hyperbilirubinemia (too much bilirubin in the blood). 3) …

How common is hearing loss?

Hearing loss is estimated to affect up to 5% of the general population.

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About this article

Author: Lauren Donley BSc (Hons)
First answered: 26 Sep 2014
Last reviewed: 18 Oct 2018
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Votes: 999 (Click smiley face below to rate)
Category: Earwax

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