To determine if the baby doesn’t listen properly, parents, family members, or kindergarten teachers should watch for some warning signs, including:
Newborn up to 3 months old
Baby 3 to 8 months old
Baby between 9 and 12 months
It is important to identify hearing problems in the baby during the first 6 months of life, because the sooner the problem is diagnosed, the earlier treatment can be started to avoid developmental problems, especially in the child’s speech and social skills.
In general, your baby’s hearing is evaluated in the maternity ward using a deafness test, called an ear exam, that helps your doctor monitor your baby’s hearing and detect a certain degree of deafness at an early stage. See how it’s done: Ear test.
However, your baby’s hearing may be perfect after birth, but decrease until a few months after birth, due to injuries or ear infections, such as chickenpox, mononucleosis, or meningitis, for example, so parents should watch for other signs that your baby may have trouble hearing.
While most cases of childhood deafness cannot be prevented because they are caused by genetic changes, there are other cases, especially postpartum deafness, that can be avoided, so here are some important tips:
In addition, it is very important to administer all vaccines as part of the national vaccination program, to prevent the development of infections, such as chickenpox or meningitis, which can cause deafness.