Children learn to communicate by imitating the sounds they hear. When your child is a baby, being hard of hearing will cause them to miss much of the speech and language going on around them.
This can result in delayed speech and language development, social problems and academic difficulties.
A common condition
About four out of 1000 preschool and/or primary school aged children suffer from hearing loss in Ireland. If not picked up on soon enough, this can develop in permanent damage in later life. If you can pay attention to the following signs when your child is a baby, you could some developmental problems.
A child with good hearing will respond to the following age-appropriate stimulation. If your child doesn’t respond to the following points, don’t hesitate to consult with your GP or medical care team.
Birth to four months
Awaken or stir at loud sounds
Startle at loud noises
Calm at the sound of a familiar voice
Respond to your voice with smiles or coos
Four to nine months
Turn eyes toward source of familiar sounds
Smile when spoken to
Notice rattles and other sound-making toys
Cry differently for different needs
Make babbling sounds
Seem to understand simple word/hand motions such as “bye-bye” with a wave
Nine to 15 months
Babble a lot of different sounds
Respond to his/her name
Respond to changes in your tone of voice
Say “ma-ma” or “da-da”
Understand simple requests
Repeat some sounds you make
Use his/her voice to attract attention
15 months to two years
Point to familiar objects when they are named
Listen to stories, songs and rhymes
Follow simple commands
Use several different words
Point to body parts when asked
Name common objects
Put two or more words together
For more information, please look at the HSE website here.
maternity&infant
Originally posted 2017-09-20 11:15:31.