Hear that?

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Article Summary

Hearing from infancy onwards helps in the development of a child's thinking skills, language competency and emotional well-being. It is known that about 1 in 300 children is born with a serious hearing problem and that the earlier the problem is identified, the better the chance of the best outcome.

Although universal screening of newborns, now carried out in some hospitals, is clearly a good part of the answer, all parents can do a lot to make sure their own child has adequate hearing. Remember, even the newborn screening won't pick up acquired hearing loss later in childhood. Giving due consideration to hearing throughout childhood by everyone who is part of a child's life will help prevent any child from living in a silent world. We reprint here a checklist to assess your child's hearing.

Find your child's age and go over each item with everyone who cares for your child, including grandparents and carers. If you answer "No" to any question or have any concern, make an appointment NOW with your child's GP to get it checked. Formal hearing tests are not part of routine care; testing usually follows from a parent's expressed concern or special risk factors in a specific child such as premature birth. Speak up!

Hearing Checklists

Yes	No	Birth to 3 Months
		Reacts to loud sounds
		Is soothed by your voice
		Turns his head to you when you speak
		Is awakened by loud voices and sounds
		Smiles when spoken to
		Seems to know your voice and quietens down if crying
Yes	No	3 to 6 Months
		Looks upwards or turns towards a new sound
		Responds to "no" and changes in tone of voice
		Imitates your own voice
		Enjoys rattles and other toys that make sounds
		Begins to repeat sounds (such as ooh, aah and ba-ba)
		Becomes scared by a loud voice
Yes	No	6 to 10 Months
		Responds to his own name, telephone ringing, someone's voice, even when not loud
		Knows words for common things (cup, shoe) and sayings ("bye-bye")
		Makes babbling sounds, even when alone
		Starts to respond to requests such as "Come here"
		Looks at things or pictures when someone talks about them
Yes	No	10 to 15 Months
		Plays with own voice, enjoying the sound and feel of it
		Points to or looks at familiar objects or people when asked to do so
		Imitates simple words and sounds; may use a few single words - meaningfully
		Enjoys games like peekaboo and pat-a-cake
Yes	No	15 to 18 Months
		Follows simple directions, such as "Give me the ball"
		Often uses words he has learned
		Uses two- to three-word sentences to talk about and ask for things
		Knows 10 to 20 words
Yes	No	18 to 24 Months
		Understands simple "yes/no" questions ("Are you hungry?")
		Understands simple phrases ("in the cup", "on the table")
		Enjoys being read to
		Points to pictures when asked
Yes	No	24 to 36 Months
		Understands "not now" and "no more"
		Chooses things by size (big, little)
		Follows simple instructions such as "Get your shoes" and "Drink your milk"
		Understands many action words (run, jump)

For more information please talk to your GP and check this US site:

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