Hearing loss and deafness are big problems for a new born baby. Discovering the problems as soon as possible can avoid permanent deafness and being mute.
Testing is very important for language development of the child. There are special tests such as

1. Audiometry by Otoacoustic emission
2. Brainstem Electrical Response Audiometry (BERA)
3. Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR).

These tests can confirm the level of hearing loss in each ear. The symptoms can be connected by hearing rehabilitation ie. hearing aid, listening practice and speaking practice and cochlear implant.

Hearing Aid
A hearing aid is a specific amplifier. Using a suitable amplifier is very necessary because hearing loss levels are different individually. There are different kinds of hearing aids including portable hearing aids, behind the-ear, in-the-ear and cochlear implant.

Normal Auditory Development

Your baby should be able to do the following:
Newborn (0 to 4 months)- at this stage of development, the baby usually reacts suddenly to loud sounds through movements such as widening the eyes, jumping or extending the arms and legs. Parents should look for signs of localization from their child, which is eye movement or turning the head towards the direction of the sound source.

3 to 6 months
A baby of 3 to 6 months of age should turn and search out different sounds. They should also be able to respond to the sound of their name. During this particular developmental time, the baby will play with sounds by cooing and babbling. The baby should smile or stop crying when either of the parents speaks to him/her. In addition, the baby should act differently according to the ways the parents speak (angry, friendly, loving).

6 to 10 months
At 6 to 10 months of age the baby should be able to seek out the sound source. When his or her name is called, the baby should look towards the speaker. In addition, the baby should respond to both soft and loud sounds. Familiar sounds such as a doorbell ringing or a dog barking should get a response from the baby. The baby should also pay attention when the parents talk to him/her.

10 to 15 months
A baby of 10 to 15 months will begin to increase his or her babbling and begin to more closely resemble speech. The baby plays with sounds and is able to put sounds together in different patterns.

15 to 18 months
A child of 15 to 18 months is able to directly localize to most sounds. The child can understand simple phrases, identify familiar objects such as body parts and follow simple directions. A child at 18 months may have an expressive vocabulary of 20 or more words and short phrases.

If your child does not have good development according to the age-you need to seek help from specialist at Hearing Center.

Hearing Speech Balance Tinnitus Center