Causes of deafness:<ul><li>Otitis media: middle ear infection</li><li>Premature birth</li><li>Diabetic mother</li><li>Genetic make-up</li><li>Smoking or consuming alcohol while pregnancy</li><li>Nervous or brain disorder</li><li>Illness of injuries - meningitis, encephalitis, measles, chickenpox, flu</li></ul> Look for these signs to make sure that your child's hearing is developing continuously: From birth to four months, your infant should:<ul><li>Startle at loud sounds</li><li>Wake up or stir at loud noises</li><li>Respond to your voice by smiling or cooing</li><li>Calm down at a familiar voice</li></ul> From four months to nine months, your infant should:<ul><li>Smile when spoken to</li><li>Notice toys that make sounds</li><li>Turn its head toward familiar sounds</li><li>Make babbling noises</li><li>Understand hand motions like the bye-bye wave</li></ul> From nine to 15 months, your baby should:<ul><li>Make various babbling sounds</li><li>Repeat some simple sounds</li><li>Understand basic requests</li><li>Use its voice to get your attention</li><li>Respond to name</li></ul> From 15 to 24 months, your toddler should:<ul><li>Use many simple words</li><li>Point to body parts when you ask</li><li>Name common objects</li><li>Listen with interests to songs, rhymes and stories</li><li>Point to familiar objects you name</li><li>Follow basic commands</li></ul> Hearing loss Symptoms:<ul><li>No reaction to loud noises</li><li>No response to your voice</li><li>Child makes simple sounds that taper off</li><li>Pulls or rubs an ear</li><li>Be constantly cranky for no clear reason</li><li>Stops paying attention</li><li>Has little energy</li><li>Does not understand directions</li><li>Often asks for the TV or radio to be louder</li><li>Has a fever</li><li>Has ear pain</li></ul> Diagnosis: Hospitals usually check newborns' hearing before they are sent home. Some others are particularly tested where deafness is known in the family. Types of Hearing Loss:<ol><li>Conductive hearing loss: It is caused by something that stops the sounds from getting through the outer or middle ear. This type is usually treated via medicines or surgery.</li><li>Sensorineural hearing loss: It is caused because of the functionality problem either of the inner ear or hearing nerve.</li><li>Mixed hearing loss: It is due both the conductive and the sensorineural hearing loss.</li><li>Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder: The sound enters the ear normally but because of the defects in either the inner ear or in the hearing nerve, the brain does not understand what the sound is.</li><li>Unilateral or Bilateral hearing loss: Hearing loss in one ear (unilateral) or both the ears (bilateral).</li><li>Symmetrical or Asymmetrical: Hearing loss is the same in both the ears (symmetrical) or different in both the ears (asymmetrical).</li><li>Congenital or Acquired: Hearing loss from birth (congenital) or develops later in life (acquired).</li></ol> Treatment:<ul><li>Conditions like otitis media go away on their own. So if your child is diagnosed of otitis media, in time (s)he will be able to hear soon. An ENT doctor will guide you for the same. The doctor may prescribe antibiotics for this condition. If otitis media does not improve, an ENT doctor might suggest getting the ear tubes surgery done.</li></ul>Other treatments include:<ul><li>Hearing aids: Children as young as 1 month old can use this device. Consult an ENT doctor to choose the right device for your child.</li><li>Implants: These are electronic devices which are placed in the inner ear to help with the hearing. These are a second resort when hearing aids don't work.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Maintain healthy lifestyle during pregnancy.</li><li>Make sure the child gets all the vaccines.</li><li>Keep your child away from excessive loud noises.</li><li>Wear ear protection like earplugs or earmuffs if you are going to be around very loud noises for more than a few minutes.</li><li>Remove excessive earwax.</li></ul> Raising a child with hearing impairment:Hearing impairment can be either congenital defect, due to some injury/disease or due to exposure to loud noises after birth. Raising a child with hearing loss can be quite challenging. It is altogether different. It will demand more patience and more understanding with loads of love.Depending upon the level of deafness, parents can select a kindergarten or school where a child's special needs are met. There are special schools and educators for such differently-abled children. With certain children, hearing is possible with surgery or a hearing device. But sometimes this defect is irreversible and can’t be cured. In all cases, the child and parents can learn different ways of communication to understand each other better. Lip reading skills, written or printed texts and sign language, are the ways for communication with such children.&nbsp;There are important aspects that parents can work on:<ol><li>The most important of all is a child's self-esteem. As a parent, you can always boost their confidence by praising their little efforts and continuous smiles.</li><li>Motivate them throughout the process.</li><li>Usually parents tend to overlook and forget to acknowledge their child’s immense effort in coping with the situation.</li><li>Do not treat them as weak. Support them but at the same time let them learn to be independent.</li><li>Let them have their own battles and own victories. Do not talk on their behalf. Unless they ask you, stay away and let them deal with friends and people on their own.</li><li>Be around whenever they need help but do not impose yourself all the time and everywhere.</li><li>Gradually the child as well as people around develop understanding and learn to communicate with each other.</li><li>Stay consistent with your behaviour. Sometimes the parents start pitying their child. Avoid over sympathising with them. As a parent, you give them the liberties which you would not otherwise if they could hear. So do not do this. Raise them firmly and with the right kind of attitude. Do not compare your hearing-impaired child to another child who can hear properly.</li><li>There should be same rules and regulations for all the kids in the house.</li><li>Instil qualities of self-control, behavioural management, cooperative skills and positive responses to people.</li><li>Good communication is the basis of good bonds in the family. Be patient with such a child and let them have their time to communicate. Give them a fair chance to express in everyone’s presence.</li><li>You, as a family, can learn the sign language or develop a system to communicate with your child. Playing games using sign languages can enhance his/her communication skills.</li><li>Family support is the strength of such a child. Be sensitive and supportive of them. Help them feel normal, natural and strong.</li></ol>

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Awareness is the first and the most important step to help a specially-abled child cope. Read article to know about deafness in children.

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