We tell you what symptoms you should identify to detect deafness in children. Take note!
One in every 1,000 children in the world is born with some degree of deafness. 80% of hearing deficits can be detected at birth and since the sense of hearing is vital for the subsequent development of language, it is essential that hearing problems are detected during the first days of life to start a treatment that helps them in their language development.
Tests for newborn babies to detect deafness are neither bothersome nor painful. The most common are transient evoked otoemissions (the baby must weigh at least 2 Kg) and the evoked potentials.
They are carried out in the hospital and the baby does not need to express a response, he may even be asleep; however, the result is invaluable.
Children who are most at risk of deafness are:
1. Children with a close family history of sensorineural hearing loss.
2. Those cases in which an infection has occurred during pregnancy that may affect the ear (cytomegalovirus, rubella, syphilis, herpes, toxoplasmosis).
3. Children born with craniofacial abnormalities that affect the pinna and/or the ear canal.
4. Premature babies weighing less than 1,500 Kg.
5. Babies with excess bilirubin who have required a transfusion.
6. Newborns who have obtained a score on the Apgar test from 0 to 4 at the minute of birth and from 0 to 6 points at 5 minutes.
7. Neonates who have required mechanical ventilation or admission to intensive care for more than 5 days.
8. Consumption of ototoxic drugs in pregnancy or at birth.
9. Children affected by viral or bacterial meningitis.
10. Born with hypothyroidism.
11. Babies with a syndrome or illness that includes hearing loss.
All these children require a comprehensive study and monitoring of language development to detect early hearing problems and start with the most appropriate treatment.