Taking Your Child to the Audiologist

Routine hearing tests are important for newborn babies and children to make sure that any potential problems with their hearing are developed from an early age. Although is it rare for children to have serious hearing problems, it can happen. This is why early testing is needed to make sure that any issues are picked up and managed as early as possible. 

Hearing issues that are often found in babies and children

There are some instances whereby children have trouble hearing. Often, these issues are located while they are still babies. However, if doctors or parents notice a hearing problem in a toddler or baby, they can begin taking steps early to help him or hear better. There is also help available for any older children who develop hearing trouble.

An audiologist is the best person to see for a hearing loss. This is a specialist who has been trained to understand how hearing works and how to assist children who do not hear normally. A child who is having difficulties with hearing could have a problem that is as simple as having too much wax in their ears. A doctor can remove this in order to help the child hear normally again.

Of course, there are situations whereby hearing issues are more complicated. The reason for this is because there are a number of different parts to the ear, and most of these parts are hidden. An audiologist can help to get to the bottom of the hearing problem your child is experiencing. They may decide to send a report to your child’s doctor. This is so that the doctor and the audiologist can work together to get to the bottom of the problem. It may be that your child needs to see an audiologist on a frequent basis to see how the treatments are working and to be sure that the hearing has not changed.

Causes of hearing loss in children

Hearing loss is a common birth defect. It is something that can impact between one and three of every 1,000 babies. There are a number of different causes of hearing loss in a child. This includes the following:

• If the child has been exposed to very loud noises or sounds, even briefly
• Had infections such as cytomegalovirus or meningitis 
• Had many ear infections
• Had certain complications at birth
• Has family members with childhood hearing loss
• Was given medications that can result in hearing loss
• Had newborn jaundice with a bilirubin level that was high enough to demand a blood transfusion
• Stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
• Was born prematurely 

Selecting the right audiologist for your child

When you are looking for the best audiologist for your child, you are going to want to select someone that makes your child feel at ease. After all, a lot of children are going to be nervous about the prospect of getting their hearing tested. This is why it is a good idea to take the time to search for an audiologist that has worked with a lot of children.

It is also a good idea to read reviews that have been left by people who have already used the services of the audiologist before. The Internet has made this easier than ever before. All you need to do is a quick search of someone online and you should be able to read a number of different reviews that have been left by others.

We would always recommend to look on independent feedback platforms, rather than merely reading the comments that have been left on the audiologist’s own website.

Aside from this, you will want to make sure that the audiologist has received the required training and that they have specialized in child’s hearing loss. You may simply assume that this is the case. However, it is never something you should take for granted. You need to make sure you take the time to read up on the audiologist online. 

Contact Gavin Audiology today if you want more information about audiology for children

If you would like to find out more about Gavin Audiology and Hearing Aids and the service that we provide, all you need to do is give us a call today for more information at (914) 610-3440. We would be more than happy to answer any of the queries you have about pediatrics and taking your child to see an audiologist.