Hearing problems may not become obvious until children are 12 to 18 months of age, when they should begin saying their first words. Signs of hearing loss in very young children may not be easy to notice. Children who can't hear well often respond to their environment by using their senses of sight and touch, which can hide their hearing problems.
Answer the questions below about your child to identify signs of a hearing problem. If you answer "no" to any question, ask your family doctor if your child should be checked for hearing problems.
Hearing Problems
Hearing Problems in Children
What are the signs of a hearing problem in a young child?
Birth to 4 Months of Age
| Yes | No | ||
| Is your baby startled by a sudden loud sound, such as a cough, a shout, a dog bark or a hand-clap? | _____ | _____ | |
| When sleeping in a quiet room, does your baby move or wake up at the sound of voices or nearby noises? | _____ | _____ | |
| When your baby is crying or fretful, does he or she seem to calm down, even for a few seconds, when you speak while out of his or her sight, when music starts or when there is a sudden loud noise? | _____ | _____ | |
| At 3 to 4 months of age, does your baby sometimes turn his or her head or move his or her eyes toward a sound? | _____ | _____ | |
| Does your baby seem to recognize his or her mother's voice better than other voices? | _____ | _____ |
4 to 8 Months of Age
| Yes | No | ||
| Does your baby turn his or her head and eyes toward a sound when the sound is coming from outside your baby's peripheral (side) vision? | _____ | _____ | |
| In a quiet setting, does your baby's expression change or do your baby's eyes widen at the sound of a voice or a loud noise? | _____ | _____ | |
| Does your baby enjoy ringing bells, squeezing noisemakers or shaking a rattle? | _____ | _____ | |
| By 6 months of age, does your baby seem to talk or babble back to people who are speaking or making noises? | _____ | _____ | |
| By 6 months of age, does your baby's babbling include 4 different sounds? | _____ | _____ |
8 to 12 Months of Age
| Yes | No | ||
| Does your baby turn directly and quickly toward a soft noisemaker, to the calling of his or her name, or to a shush that is outside his or her peripheral (side) vision? | _____ | _____ | |
| Does your baby's voice go up and down in pitch when he or she is babbling? | _____ | _____ | |
| Does your baby make several different consonant sounds (such as m, b, p, g) when he or she is babbling? | _____ | _____ | |
| Does your baby seem to enjoy music and respond to it by listening, bouncing or singing along? | _____ | _____ | |
| Does your baby understand the command no? | _____ | _____ |
More Information
Other Organizations
Source
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.
American Academy of Family Physicians
Reviewed/Updated: 09/06
Created: 05/95