Aptos Psychologist: Why crucial & how parents can reduce hearing loss in babies & young children
Wednesday, February 29th, 2012Hearing loss in babies has huge effects on their general development: hearing loss impacts language acquisition, speech, psycho-social well being and overall learning.
Research shows that the critical time to stimulate the auditory and brain pathways is during the first six (6) months of your child’s life. So pay particular attention during your child’s first six months that he or she continues to hear normally.
The good news is that children with all degrees of hearing loss — who receive appropriate interventions prior to 6 months of age– can obtain speech and language skills comparable to their normal hearing peers when age 3 years.
What parents can do:
Check and re-check that your baby’s hearing remains normal. Visit your pediatrician for screenings as your doctor recommends. Research recommends hearing screening every 2 months until age one year — and every three months until age two. (more…)

