Children And Hearing Aids

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

A hearing aid is a small electronic device placed behind or in your child's ear. A hearing aid will help him hear sounds better. It contains a small microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker. The microphone receives sound and changes it into an electrical signal. The amplifier increases the loudness of the signal. The speaker receives the signal, changes it back to sound waves, and sends the sound waves to the inner ear. A hearing aid can help your child if he has mild to moderate hearing loss. Your child may have developed hearing loss even before he was born, or he may have got it after he was born. There are many possible causes of hearing loss, or the cause may not be known. There are several different types of hearing aids. Caregivers will help you choose the best hearing aid for your child. Learn ways to help your child hear better, and how to care for his hearing aid.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Medicines:

• Keep a current list of your child's medicines: Include the amounts, and when, how, and why they are taken. Bring the list and the medicines in their containers to follow-up visits. Carry your child's medicine list with you in case of an emergency. Throw away old medicine lists. Give vitamins, herbs, or food supplements only as directed.
  
  
• Give your child's medicine as directed: Call your child's primary healthcare provider if you think the medicine is not working as expected. Tell him if your child is allergic to any medicine. Ask before you change or stop giving your child his medicines.
  
  
• Do not give aspirin to children under 18 years of age: Your child could develop Reye syndrome if he takes aspirin. Reye syndrome can cause life-threatening brain and liver damage. Check your child's medicine labels for aspirin, salicylates, or oil of wintergreen.

Ask for more information about where and when to take your child for follow-up visits:

For continuing care, treatments, or home services for your child, ask for information.

Hearing aids used for children:

• Behind the ear: A small plastic case rests behind your child's ear. It is connected to a tube that goes to a mold in his ear. A mold is a small plastic piece that fits into your child's ear. This type of hearing aid is the style that is most often selected for infants and very young children.
  
  
• In the ear: This small plastic piece fits in your child's outer ear. This style is usually not used until children are 7 or 8 years old, when their ears are bigger.
  
  
• Completely in the ear: This is a tiny plastic piece that fits entirely in your child's ear canal. It is rarely used in children.
  
  
• In the ear canal: This type has a very small plastic piece that fits half way into your child's ear canal. It is rarely used in children.
  
  
• Body aid: This type of aid has a small box and a cord that goes to an earpiece. This style is not best for children because of the different pieces and the cord. It is bulky and hard for children to manage. It cannot be tailored to meet your child's needs, and children may have trouble hearing well with it. While it may be used for a short amount of time, it is usually replaced with a different hearing aid.

How to help your child hear better:

• Avoid having your child around loud noise, as this may prevent more hearing loss. This includes the noise of guns being fired, fireworks, loud music, motorcycles, and power tools.
  
  
• Decrease background noise at places such as restaurants by having your child sit at a table with his back to the wall. Place him in the center of where most people are talking. Have him sit in a location where he can clearly see the faces of the people who are talking.
  
  
• Face your child when you speak to him, and do not cover your mouth as you speak. Ask people not to shout or mumble when they speak to your child. People should speak using their usual tone and volume.
  
  
• Hearing aid molds need to be replaced as your child grows. The ear molds must fit well in your child's ears to prevent feedback. Feedback is sound that leaks around or through the ear mold, making it harder for your child to hear.
  
  
• If your child has hearing loss in both ears, it is better to have an aid for each ear. Using two aids will help him hear better than using only one aid.
  
  
• If your child has hearing loss, yet is able to hear some things, he should still get a hearing aid. Even a small amount of hearing loss makes it harder for a child to speak and learn.
  
  
• It may be hard to make sure your child wears the hearing aids. Have your child wear the aids as much as possible. When a small infant is feeding, or during a child's tantrum, you may leave the aids out if needed for a period of time. Ask your caregivers about headbands and other devices that can help hold the hearing aids in place on your child.
  
  
• Keep your child's ears clean. Ear wax and dirt in your child's ears make feedback worse. Watch your child for signs of an ear infection. Ear infections can worsen feedback and lead to pain and more hearing loss. Ask caregivers for more information about signs of an ear infection.
  
  
• Make and attend all appointments with your child's caregivers. Your child's hearing loss may change as he grows, so he will need regular appointments to check for changes. You may need appointments with an audiologist or speech-language pathologist. These caregivers may work with your child and your family. If you have a school-age child with hearing loss, ask caregivers about aids that will work with listening devices in a classroom. These listening aids will make it easier for your child to hear a teacher and other classmates.

How to care for your child's hearing aid:

Ask caregivers to talk to you about the following:

• A warranty for the aid, and insurance in case it is lost or broken.
  
  
• Changing the volume of the hearing aid (if needed).
  
  
• Charging and changing the batteries in the hearing aid. Batteries may need to be changed every 1 to 2 weeks.
  
  
• Cleaning and care of the hearing aid.
  
  
• How to teach older children to use the telephone with the aid in place.
  
  
• Putting in and taking out the hearing aid.
  
  
• Turning the aid on and off.
  
  
• Using the remote control and memory (if the aid has these features).

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• You have questions or concerns about your child's hearing loss.
  
  
• Your child still has problems hearing even when using his hearing aids.
  
  
• Your child's hearing aid is not working, or needs to be replaced.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Learn more about Children And Hearing Aids (Aftercare Instructions)