IS MY BABY'S HEARING NORMAL?


If you think your baby has a hearing loss, you might be right. Three million Americans under the age of 18 have varying degrees of hearing impairment. If you suspect a problem, the following indicators will assist in helping you make a determination.

Read each item carefully to see if any of these factors apply to your family, you or your child. If you can answer yes to one or more, your child may have a higher than average chance of a hearing loss.


Select "Yes" or "No" for each question. Select the "Print" option to make a copy of this survey.



INDICATORS FOR HEARING LOSS

Your family: Has one or more individuals with permanent or progressive hearing loss that was present or developed early in life


Yes No During pregnancy you: Had German measles, a viral infection or flu

Yes No

Drank alcoholic beverages


Yes No Your newborn (birth to 28 days of age): Weighed less than 3.5 pounds at birth

Yes No

Has an unusual appearance of the face or ears

Yes No

Was jaundiced (yellow skin) at birth and had an exchange blood transfusion

Yes No

Was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for more than five days

Yes No

Received an antibiotic medication given through a needle in a vein

Yes No

Had meningitis


Yes No Your infant (29 days to age two years): Received an antibiotic medication given through a needle in a vein

Yes No

Had meningitis

Yes No

Has a neurological disorder

Yes No

Had a serious injury with a fracture of the skull with or without bleeding from the ear

Yes No

Has recurring ear infections with fluid in ears for more than tree months


Yes No RESPONSE TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Your newborn (birth to 6 months of age): Does not startle, move, cry, or react in any way to unexpected loud noises

Yes No

Does not awaken to loud noises

Yes No

Does not freely imitate sound

Yes No

Cannot be soothed by voice alone

Yes No

Does not turn his/her head in the direction of a voice


Yes No Your young infant (6 through 12 months): Does not point to familiar persons or objects when asked

Yes No

Does not babble or babbling has stopped

Yes No

By 12 months is not understanding simple phrases such as ("wave bye-bye", "clap hands" by listening alone


Yes No Your infant (13 months through two years): Does not accurately turn in the direction of a soft voice on the first call

Yes No

Is not alert to environmental sounds

Yes No

Does not respond to sound or does not locate where sound is coming from

Yes No

Does not begin to imitate and use simple words for familiar people and things around the home

Yes No

Does not sound like or use speech like other children of similar age

Yes No

Does not listen to TV at normal volume

Yes No

Does not show consistent growth in the understanding and the use of words to communicate


Yes No WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

If your child has indicated one or more of the above behaviors, you should take him or her for an ear examination and a hearing test and then discuss the findings with your baby's pediatrician. Screening can be done at any age, even as early as just after birth. Computerized hearing tests make it possible to screen newborns.

All children should routinely have their hearing tested before they start school. mild hearing difficulties and loss of hearing in one ear may be determined in this way. Such deficits, although not obvious, may negatively affect speech and language.

If you did not check any of these factors but you suspect your child is not hearing normally, even if your child's doctor is not concerned, have your child's hearing tested by an audiologist and when appropriate, have his or her speech evaluated by a speech and language pathologist.

If it is determined that no hearing loss exists, the test will not have hurt the child. However, if a hearing loss is detected, early intervention may significantly facilitate speech and language development.

This information is provided as a public service from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-head and Neck Surgery, Inc., One Prince Street, Alexandria VA 232314-3357

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