Hearing Aids For Children

It can be an extremely devastating thing for families, having a child and a young member of the family to be hearing impaired. While it is unfortunate, all hope is not lost though and the first and most important step in the road to recovery is to have your child be fitted with a device that works as a hearing aid device. 

It may come as a surprise a surprise to you but about 2 of every 1000 children that are born in the states, are born with deafness or they are born with infant hearing loss that happens to be caught by hearing screening for newborns. 

Then there are also other types of children who develop loss of hearing later on in their childhood. Very often this will be a result of infections, side effects from medicines, maybe a condition that is genetic or even repeated exposure to sound that is just too loud. If you think that your child may be suffering from a loss of hearing or is in the process of becoming hearing impaired, you need to consult with both your doctor and your audiologist as soon as possible. These are people who have spent a lifetime in gathering experience in this field of work and are very well equipped to test your child, give out proper treatment options for your child and also to follow-up after starting treatment. 

Hearing Aids: Pediatric

Every model of hearing aid device contains within it a microphone for the purposes of picking up sound, they also have a processor that makes analysis of the sound. What the processor is basically responsible for doing, is to filter out sounds that are unwanted such as too much noise from wind and also at the same time, to amplify the sounds that are more important such as speech. Typically you will find that a battery will come with the device and that will power the device. In many cases, these batteries are rechargeable or they are disposable. The newer models of these devices have the ability to connect with devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets. This allows for the sound to be directly streamed from the device itself.  

How they are different

It may be worthwhile to note that the hearing aid devices that are made for children work very much like the ones that are made for adults. They do, however, posses a few key distinctions between them.:

• Hearings aids which are pediatric in nature are manufactured with more durability in mind than their adult counterparts. Children have the potential to cause a lot of wear and tear on these hearing aid devices. 

• These pediatric hearing devices are made to be compatible with assistive devices and also FM systems. This is very important for children who go to school as it makes the process of communication and learning a lot easier. 

• The batteries of the devices made are also resistant to tamper. Batteries do pose a danger if they are handled improperly or in the worst case, are swallowed. 

• These devices also have a distinctive LED light that makes it clear when the device is operating. What this does is that it allows parents and also teachers to do some quick checks on these devices. 

Hearing aid devices made for children also happen to be free of allergens and also harmful chemicals. Then there is also the advantage of having them come in many different bright colors. The type and also the style of the hearing aid will vary according to the specific needs of the child- their hearing loss level, etc. There are children who will adorn a small unit that will fit in behind their ears, with a tube that is thin and also a small dome of plastic that is worn in the canals of the ear. Then there are others who will wear larger units in the back of their ears. It really does depend on the individual child and what is comfortable for them. 

How do small children and young kids wear these devices

These devices, the hearing aid devices, can be put in use on the babies who are just a couple of few months old. As they mature a bit more, these children will need to go through regular hearing tests and also they will need newer hearing aid devices. This will all be determined by your doctor or your audiologist. Remember, the right kind of hearing aid device for your child will be a major determinant of their quality of life, how well they perform in schools and social settings and most importantly, how well they are able to communicate and express themselves.