Can my baby hear me? Common red flags according to our Audiologist

Having a total or partial failure to hear any sound may result in social seclusion, communication failure and even accidents. Now imagine your adorable newborn having this issue but unable to let you know their condition. Hearing loss at birth or also known as congenital hearing loss is prevalent in Malaysia of between 1 to 6 cases for every 1000 births.

“Congenital hearing loss can happen with risk factors and even without risk factors,“ said Dr Ahmad Aidil Arafat bin Dzulkarnain, an Audiologist at the International Islamic University Malaysia and also one of the Medical Advisory Board members for Mama Net, a locally flourishing educational parenting App.

Dr Aidil further elaborated that the risk factors often further categorized into environmental and genetic risk factors. Examples of the environmental factors are maternal infection during pregnancy (e.g. toxoplasmosis and herpes simplex), low-birth weight or premature birth.

While genetic factors affecting congenital hearing loss are babies with certain syndromes such as Alport’s, Down’s, Turner’s and Waardenburg’s syndromes. These genetic and environmental factors may cause alterations to the hearing system that later may impair the infants’ listening abilities and may cause difficulties for them to undergo normal speech and language development.

Further concern on this issue is the fact that 50% of the congenital hearing loss cases typically occur without any associated risks factors. This suggests that congenital hearing loss can happen in a child without any clear health issues or signs and can only be identified if proper hearing assessment is carried out.

As opposed to adults, infants who have hearing losses are not able to tell their parents on their hearing difficulties thus making hearing loss a hidden disorder. Often, parent has difficulties to notice the presence of hearing loss until the child gets older especially when they are unable to speak like other normal developing children.

“The ears and brain are inter-connected, and we hear through our brain from the message sent by our ears. Without sufficient “hearing experience”, the brain area that supports our hearing and listening skills will not be fully developed and this could lead to further deterioration of the brain to process sound if the intervention is delayed or too late,” he added.

Because of that, congenital hearing loss need to be identified as early as possible so that health professional support can be given straightaway.

Tips for parents to address congenital hearing issues

Firstly, get your child hearing to be tested by an audiologist or their team members as soon as the infant is born. Some private and government hospitals conduct universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program as an initiative to detect congenital hearing loss and would be a good platform for this purpose. Alternatively, you may get your child hearing to be tested at any audiology clinic as soon as you can.

Secondly, should your child be identified to have hearing loss, do not panic. Please follow the advice and intervention suggested by the audiologists or any health professional.

Thirdly, observe your child’s hearing, listening and speaking abilities to ensure that they are adequate for your child’s age.

Fourth, if you have concerns on their hearing, listening and speaking abilities, immediately seek for health professional’s help.

“Congenital hearing loss can happen with risk factors and even without risk factors,“ said Dr Ahmad Aidil Arafat bin Dzulkarnain, an Audiologist at the International Islamic University Malaysia and also one of the Medical Advisory Board members for Mama Net, a locally flourishing educational parenting App.

Dr Aidil further elaborated that the risk factors often further categorized into environmental and genetic risk factors. Examples of the environmental factors are maternal infection during pregnancy (e.g. toxoplasmosis and herpes simplex), low-birth weight or premature birth.

While genetic factors affecting congenital hearing loss are babies with certain syndromes such as Alport’s, Down’s, Turner’s and Waardenburg’s syndromes. These genetic and environmental factors may cause alterations to the hearing system that later may impair the infants’ listening abilities and may cause difficulties for them to undergo normal speech and language development.

Further concern on this issue is the fact that 50% of the congenital hearing loss cases typically occur without any associated risks factors. This suggests that congenital hearing loss can happen in a child without any clear health issues or signs and can only be identified if proper hearing assessment is carried out.

As opposed to adults, infants who have hearing losses are not able to tell their parents on their hearing difficulties thus making hearing loss a hidden disorder. Often, parent has difficulties to notice the presence of hearing loss until the child gets older especially when they are unable to speak like other normal developing children.

“The ears and brain are inter-connected, and we hear through our brain from the message sent by our ears. Without sufficient “hearing experience”, the brain area that supports our hearing and listening skills will not be fully developed and this could lead to further deterioration of the brain to process sound if the intervention is delayed or too late,” he added.

Because of that, congenital hearing loss need to be identified as early as possible so that health professional support can be given straightaway.