Speaking is the most important skill that enables people to socialize. Hearing: It is the most important sense that enables people to develop their speech and language skills. The earlier childhood hearing loss is detected, the better its treatment and rehabilitation. That's why every newborn is given a hearing screening within the first week.
The normal hearing level in children is 0-15 dB. Children may have different findings depending on the level of hearing loss. Mild hearing losses; may cause speech delay; while the child hears vowels fully, he cannot hear some consonants and cannot say those letters during speech. He cannot say the words correctly and makes mistakes when making sentences. At the same time, learning difficulties and a resulting decrease in the child's school success may occur. In moderate hearing loss; the child must use a hearing aid and receive special education. Despite all this, a decrease in speech and language skills may occur. In severe hearing loss, despite both the device and special education, there are serious problems in speech and language skills, and this has a negative impact on the child's academic success.
The causes of childhood hearing loss. If we look superficially; familial and genetic reasons, infectious diseases suffered by the mother during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, smoking and alcohol use by the mother during pregnancy, premature birth, blood transfusion, neonatal jaundice, monitoring the child in intensive care within the first month after birth, syndromes, nervous disorders such as meningitis. Causes include system infections, infectious diseases such as measles and mumps.
But the biggest cause of acquired hearing loss in children is middle ear infections. Middle ear infections can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. However, the most important point of this disease is that it is preventable, rather than being the most common cause of hearing loss in children.
The middle ear is ventilated through a structure called the "eustachian tube", which opens to the nasal area, at the back of the nose. While the Eustachian tube allows air to enter the middle ear through the nose, it also removes fluid accumulated in the middle ear. It also drains water. However, in childhood, since the eustachian tube has not completed its development, the middle ear does not perform its ventilation and drainage duties well. In addition to all these, the "adenoid tissue", commonly called "adenoid", which is frequently seen in childhood, blocks the mouth of the eustachian tube, which is not fully developed, and impairs the ventilation and drainage of the middle ear. Infections frequently occur in the middle ear, which cannot drain the accumulated fluids. These infections cause earache, fever and hearing loss. Although these infections are treated with long-term antibiotic use, fluid accumulation in the middle ear often continues. Without infection, only fluid accumulation causes a feeling of pressure and fullness in the ear. Since there is fluid in the middle ear cavity where there should be air, it causes the child to experience frequent middle ear infections and causes hearing loss.
Hearing loss caused by fluid accumulation in the middle ear and middle ear infections is temporary at first. Hearing returns to normal when the infection and fluid pass. However, in the long term, they can cause permanent hearing loss by causing damage such as collapse of the eardrum, accumulation of "limestone plaques" in the eardrum, commonly known as "eardrum calcification", perforation in the eardrum, wear or adhesion of the middle ear ossicles.
As I just mentioned, the most common cause of acquired hearing loss in children is middle ear diseases. These losses can be completely prevented with early treatment, follow-up and, if necessary, surgical intervention.
Why is early intervention for a child with hearing loss important?
One of the most important abilities that enable humans to be social creatures in society and distinguish us from other living creatures is speech. Hearing is the most important condition for learning to speak. The pathway between hearing and speech in our brain develops in the first 3 years of age. Therefore, the sooner hearing loss is intervened, the better the patient's speech will be.
As for hearing loss in kindergarten and school-age children, even though the child has already learned and developed speaking, he still needs to learn new words. delayed or not at all. Acting with the instincts of nursery and school age children It is a period when they are just learning about socialization, sharing and socializing. Hearing loss in the child during this period will affect the child's socialization and reduce school success. This situation may cause us to encounter a child who is excluded by his friends, withdrawn, and isolated from the environment.
PLEASE LET'S REMEMBER!!!
Early. Hearing losses in children can be treated or rehabilitated very well when diagnosed and intervened early.
Your child is not an adult. They usually don't come to you and say I have hearing loss. Not hearing the phone ringing, not running to the door when the doorbell rings, decreased success in school, restlessness that has started recently, decrease and deterioration in relationships with friends, decreased interest in the environment, pronouncing words incorrectly and not learning new words are among the symptoms of hearing loss in children.
If you have these findings, have your children have an ear and hearing examination.
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