How to recognize a hearing disorder in children?

The hearing disorders in children can lead to several complications, including school and learning difficulties because of language acquisition is disrupted. However, even parents are not always brought to detect these disorders because the signs are often difficult to recognize ....
The hearing disorders in children must be detected before the acquisition of language as may impact on cognitive development and the awakening of the child, leading to learning difficulties.

More hearing problems are detected earlier, more care is not taken effective.

The causes of hearing impairment are numerous, hearing loss is the most dreaded disease but easier to diagnose or identify the parents. The mild hearing disorders are rather difficult to recognize and require several appropriate tests. It may be a congenital or acquired condition mainly due to infection, trauma, exhibitions in utero to toxic products, a tumor ...

The hearing disorders often lead to abnormal behavior usually detected by parents. However, abnormal behavior vary by age of the child. In infants, quiet sleep and lack of response to environmental noise can attract the attention of parents. A normal baby usually startled when he hears a noise or sound that appears suddenly. At a more advanced age, the absence of words and speech is marked, the child is often restless and has learning difficulties, the child does not respond when called by name (as at 1 year, a child usually responds to the call of his name)

A hearing disorder must warrant medical attention. It is then necessary to find the causes. Family and personal history of the child look for risk factors. Prematurity, low birth weight, fetal diseases are the main risk factors for hearing disorders congenital. Infections (otitis), injuries are risk factors in older children with acquired hearing impairment. Family history of deafness also predispose children of the same family with deafness.

Several tests and techniques are performed to detect hearing impairment in children. Each technique is suitable for the age of the child: the naked voice tests, audiometry, tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions-induced evoked potentials acoustic ...

Moreover, a systematic hearing screening is being done in several maternity to diagnose these problems early. Late diagnosis leads to processing difficulties and impaired language development and learning.

In case of suspicion of hearing disorders in children, it is recommended that parents consult their physician or a specialist in pediatric ENT. In case of delay of language, parents are referred to a speech therapist.

Thus, several situations should encourage parents to take their child to the specialist:

- No reaction to noises, sounds and calls

- Language Delay, no chatter, no words and phrases

- Answers to questions asked inconsistent

- Aggressive or isolated child, child angry and agitated

- Delay or learning difficulties

The onset of ear infections should also alert parents as are a lot predisposition to a disorder of the hearing. The analysis of these signs should take into account the family and social environment of the child.