Using advanced technology, doctors are now able to test newborn babies for hearing loss fairly accurately, and at very low costs.
Typically, testing will be performed when a newborn is considered “at risk” due to related hearing loss circumstances involving one or both of the parents, or when a disease, infection or condition occurs during pregnancy that might cause hearing loss.
Early Detection Saves Long-Term Costs
Not only is it inexpensive to perform initial hearing loss examinations for newborns, but detecting the hearing loss early saves substantial costs throughout the child’s life for the parents and educational system as a whole.
Early detection of hearing loss enables both doctors and parents to develop appropriate treatments and therapies early on to help the child either overcome the hearing loss, improve hearing or adjust during development.
Studies show that school age children who have an undetected hearing loss condition are often misunderstood
as having a learning disability or behavior problems. Many of these students are held back in at least one grade for this very reason. It’s important that a child’s hearing problem is detected from the beginning to avoid these misunderstandings during school years, which can be traumatic for the child.
When children are treated at a young age, there is less of a burden on the educational system. Untold wasted
tax dollars are spent trying to accommodate students in the wrong type of learning environment and with inappropriate learning materials simply because their hearing loss is undiagnosed.
The child may be placed in a remedial learning classroom when, in reality, the child could thrive in a normal setting if only his/her hearing loss had been detected and treated. This results in a waste of efforts which could have been prevented with an early diagnosis.
Early Detection Can Prevent Further Hearing Loss
If a hearing loss is detected shortly after birth, the causes of the child’s hearing loss are often detected
as well. Knowing the cause can sometimes enable doctors to prevent further hearing loss if the condition is
progressive due to an illness or circumstances. The child may be able to hear partially, but further exposure
to a certain condition may cause permanent hearing loss. It would be a shame for a child to lose all hearing
ability when it could be prevented.
Early Detection Enables Better Treatment Results
The earlier hearing loss is detected, the greater the possibilities for treatment and/or a cure. A child
can be treated as young as four weeks old using amplification fittings. Children who are treated at an early age often demonstrate better speech capabilities and reading comprehension. They’re usually able to enter into an educational setting at a normal age, and learn along with their peers with no complications.
Although there are many other advantages for early hearing loss detection, these are a few of the most
significant. Each child will have different needs, but detecting the problem early helps to determine these
needs before the child reaches an age of awareness, when it can become more difficult to adjust. Everyone
involved benefits from early awareness of hearing loss problems, but especially the child.
Related posts: