He does not speak in class, leaves questions unanswered, seems careless; confuses or mispronounces sounds when asked to repeat…
He does not speak in class, leaves questions unanswered, seems careless; when asked to repeat the sounds, he mixes the sounds or pronounces them incorrectly… Although it may not come to mind, these and some similar behaviors can be important signals of hearing problems in children! Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases Specialist Dr. Mustafa Engin CakmakciStating that hearing loss in childhood can appear as a developmental delay problem when it is noticed late, this developmental delay can lead to academic failure and the problem of not being able to gain a social place in society. “Sometimes, hearing loss in only one ear can be difficult to understand. However, it should not be forgotten that even hearing loss in one ear can negatively affect the child's ability to learn through hearing. Thanks to the early recognition, recognition and solution of hearing loss, babies and children can be removed from being disabled individuals and continue their lives in a healthy way. ENT Specialist Dr. Mustafa Engin Cakmakci, 20-26 September International Week of the Deaf In his statement, he listed the 10 important signals of hearing loss in children and made important warnings and suggestions.
Childhood hearing loss can be genetic, that is, congenital, as well as occur in pre-school and school age. Hearing may not be present congenitally, and severe, moderate and mild hearing loss may be encountered. Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases Specialist Dr. Mustafa Engin Cakmakci “In addition to developmental disorders, there can also be acquired hearing loss. Newborn jaundice, premature birth, adenoid size, allergies, frequent upper respiratory tract infections, fluid accumulation in the middle ear, infections, traumas, drugs and exposure to loud noise can cause hearing problems. Undiagnosed congenital or childhood hearing loss negatively affects the language, social, emotional, cognitive and academic development of the child, and therefore, the quality of life. Stating that the most common cause of hearing loss in infants is a developmental (congenital) disorder, Dr. Mustafa Engin Çakmakçı, emphasizing that early diagnosis is important at all ages, says, "If the diagnosis of hearing loss is made within the first 6-9 months after birth and education is provided with an early device, the language and speech development of these children can be normal or close to normal."
Teacher awareness is very important.
Especially in infants, if hearing loss is noticed in the first six months and early treatment, the language development of children can be brought to a normal or close to normal state. In our country, the investigation of hearing loss is done in every newborn baby. The “Newborn Hearing Screening Program”, which was started to be implemented as a national program in 2004, ensures that every baby is screened for hearing, early diagnosis and options for the elimination of hearing loss. ENT Specialist Dr. Mustafa Engin Çakmakçı says, “The awareness of parents, kindergarten and primary school teachers and every individual who cares about the child is of great importance in the early detection of hearing loss in infants and childhood who do not have hearing loss in the screening program.”
Speech development is an important indicator of hearing!
Stating that speech development in infants and children depends on healthy hearing, Dr. Mustafa Engin Çakmakçı says: “Speech development gives important ideas about hearing. While every child is unique, there are general stages of communication development in infants and children: For example; Until the first 3 months, the baby is startled by sudden and loud sounds, and calms down when he hears familiar sounds. Between 3-6 months; When his name is said or there is a sound in the environment, he turns his head and makes sounds in the form of humming to himself, even if he does not see you. Between 6-9 months; He reacts when his name is called and turns his head in the direction of the sound. Can grasp simple words such as mom, dad, no, bye bye. at the 10th month; babyish sounds can make single syllable sounds and turn into speech-like sounds. At 12 months, he should be able to say a few words. Between 12-18 months; repeats simple words and sounds. Tries to point to familiar objects, understands simple instructions, can imitate familiar animal sounds. May use seven or more words. 18 percent of the 25-month-old's speech should be intelligible. Between 18-24 months; understands simple sentences, picks up familiar objects on command and shows various parts of the body. Has a spoken vocabulary of 20 to 50 words and uses short sentences. between 2-3 years old; He has a vocabulary of 50-250 words. Uses simple two-word sentences. Most of what they say should be 50-75 percent intelligible to adults who are not with the child every day. Points to parts of the body when spoken, without seeing lip movements. From the age of 3, he names almost everything in one word. Chats with you or with toys. He has a vocabulary of 450 words. Makes sentences of 4 or 5 words, follows the conversations. 75 percent to 100 percent of the child's speech should be intelligible. 3 to 5 years old; expresses his wishes, reflects feelings, gives information and asks questions on a daily basis. A preschooler understands almost everything that is said. Vocabulary reaches 1000 to 2000 words. Makes complex and meaningful sentences. All speech is clear and understandable should be.”
10 signs of hearing loss!
- If your child is responsive and unresponsive to sounds
- Speech is delayed and speech development is lagging behind for age
- Doesn't notice people and voices talking out of sight
- If he watches on television or similar environments with the sound turned up more than everyone else
- Reacts abnormally to low, medium, or loud sounds
- Confuses or mispronounces sounds when asked to repeat
- Does not respond or react when his name is spoken and called, or does not look back
- If you think he/she seems careless, if he/she is at school age, his/her participation in the class is low, his/her learning is retarded and his/her level of success is low.
- If you observe deterioration and regression in language development
- Leaving phone conversations or questions unanswered.
10 important causes of hearing loss in childhood!
- Congenital (genetic) inner ear developmental disorders
- Structural anomalies of the head and face
- Premature (premature) birth
- neonatal jaundice
- Ear infections
- High fever diseases, meningitis
- Head trauma due to falls and accidents
- The use of certain drugs harmful to the inner ear
- exposure to loud noise
- Febrile diseases of the mother during pregnancy