Unfortunately, hearing loss doesn’t just occur with age. Sometimes it manifests at birth because of genetic factors, and sometimes children develop it because of loud sounds or disease. You don’t want your children to live or learn without the benefit of hearing, so you need dependable solutions, like kids’ hearing aids from a Toronto medical centre.

Let the team at Union Hearing Aid Centre assist you. We conform to the Ontario Government’s Infant Hearing Screening and Communication Program. Since early 2002, this program has helped identify and treat infants born deaf or hard of hearing. It also helps audiologists determine which children have a high risk for developing this condition. Click the link or call the IHP at 416-338-8255 to learn more.

You can also find out more information about infant hearing screening in the Toronto area here: http://www.toronto.ca/earlyabilities

The Screening Process

Before babies first leave the hospital, medical technicians perform stage one screenings called a Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission, or DPOAE. Babies sleep throughout the procedure and receive either a pass or refer result.

If their tests indicate a refer result, they then see a paediatric audiologist for stage two screenings. Audiologists perform these automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) screenings between 8 and 16 weeks of age. If the babies exhibit hearing loss, they go to a paediatric otolaryngologist for further evaluation.

Hearing Loss Signs

Babies develop quickly, so you have to pay attention to see if they exhibit hearing loss. If they can’t hear, their ability to develop speech and language becomes limited. Watch for these signs:

• No reaction when exposed to intense sounds
• Carefully watching speakers’ faces
• Sitting too close to the television with high volume
• No awareness of nearby people when they’re not in view

Older children may also ask “what” with some frequency. And if your infant is deaf or hard of hearing, you also won’t notice these milestones:

• 9 months: Your baby should understand basic words, especially mommy and daddy
• 10 months: Your baby should start babbling, creating syllables, and saying simple words
• 12 months: Your child should start speaking real words
• 18 months: Your child should understand simple phrases and commands and use about 20–50 words
• 24 months: Your child’s vocabulary should include over 150 words, and he or she should use simple sentences

If your child does not exhibit these milestones, he or she likely needs assisted hearing devices, like kids’ hearing aids, from a Toronto specialist.

Pediatric Hearing Loss and Union Hearing Aid Centre

If you would like to learn more about kids’ hearing aids, our Toronto location is only a phone call away. Connect with us by calling 416-364-2264.

Every child who is fit with a hearing aid through our office receives a generous supply of batteries, a hearing aid battery tester, a stetoclip listening device, earmold cleaning kit, and an air blower absolutely free of charge. Children also receive a teddy bear wearing hearing aids with every hearing aid purchase. Additional teddy bears may be purchased for $30.00 CDN.