Children and Hearing Loss: What Edmonton Parents Need to Know

Hearing loss in children is more common than most parents realize. Roughly two to three out of every 1,000 babies born in Canada have some degree of hearing loss, and more children develop hearing loss later from ear infections, illness, noise exposure, or genetic factors that show up after birth.

The challenge is that children, especially young ones, do not know what they are missing. A child who has never heard clearly does not know that other people hear differently. They adapt, compensate, and sometimes fall behind in ways that look like behavioural issues or learning difficulties rather than a hearing problem.

Why early detection matters

The first three years of life are critical for language development. A child’s brain is wiring itself for speech and communication during this window, and it relies on consistent auditory input to do so. If a child cannot hear speech clearly during this period, language development can be delayed in ways that are difficult to fully recover from later.

Children who are identified and fitted with hearing aids or other interventions by six months of age develop language skills that are remarkably close to their hearing peers. Children identified after two or three years often face a longer, harder path to catching up.

This is why Alberta has a universal newborn hearing screening program. Every baby born in an Alberta hospital is offered a hearing screening before discharge. If your baby did not receive one, or if you are unsure, request one through your family doctor or contact an audiologist directly.

Signs of hearing loss in babies and toddlers

Even with newborn screening, hearing loss can develop after birth. Watch for these signs in infants and toddlers:

• Not startling at loud sounds by one month of age
• Not turning toward sounds by three to four months
• Not babbling by six months
• Not responding to their name by nine months
• Not using single words by twelve months
• Not following simple spoken directions by eighteen months
• Preferring one ear by turning the same side toward sounds

Any one of these on its own may not indicate hearing loss, but a pattern of delayed responses to sound is worth investigating.

Signs in older children

School-age children with undiagnosed hearing loss may show:

• Frequently asking “what?” or “huh?”
• Turning up the TV or tablet volume higher than others need
• Difficulty following conversations in noisy environments like classrooms or cafeterias
• Seeming to ignore instructions, especially when not facing the speaker
• Falling behind in reading or phonics compared to classmates
• Speaking louder than the situation requires
• Withdrawing from group activities or preferring to play alone
• Complaints of ear pain, ringing, or a feeling of fullness

Teachers are often the first to notice. If a teacher mentions that your child seems inattentive, does not follow verbal instructions, or asks for repetition frequently, a hearing test should be part of the investigation before assuming it is a behavioural or attention issue.

Common causes of childhood hearing loss

Otitis media (middle ear infections). This is the most common cause of temporary hearing loss in children. Fluid builds up behind the eardrum, muffling sound. Most episodes resolve with treatment, but chronic or recurrent infections can cause lasting changes to middle ear function.

Congenital causes. Genetic factors account for about half of all hearing loss present at birth. Some genetic hearing loss is present immediately. Other forms, like those associated with certain syndromes, may develop gradually during childhood.

Noise exposure. Children’s ears are more vulnerable to noise damage than adults’. Concerts, sporting events, power tools, fireworks, and prolonged use of earbuds at high volume can all cause permanent damage. The World Health Organization estimates that over a billion young people worldwide are at risk of hearing loss from recreational noise exposure.

Illness. Meningitis, measles, mumps, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) can all cause sensorineural hearing loss in children. CMV is the most common non-genetic cause of childhood hearing loss in Canada.

Trauma. Head injuries, perforated eardrums from objects inserted in the ear, or barotrauma from rapid pressure changes can damage hearing.

How hearing tests work for children

Hearing tests for children are adapted to their age and developmental level:

Newborns and infants are tested with otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR). Both are painless and do not require the child to respond. OAE measures sounds produced by the inner ear in response to a stimulus. ABR measures electrical activity in the auditory nerve and brainstem. These tests can be done while the baby sleeps.

Toddlers (6 months to 2 years) are tested with visual reinforcement audiometry. The child sits on a parent’s lap in a sound booth. When a sound is played and the child turns toward it, they are rewarded with a lit-up toy or animated display. This conditions the child to respond to sounds, allowing the audiologist to measure hearing thresholds.

Preschoolers (2 to 5 years) can do conditioned play audiometry. The child is taught to perform a simple action, like dropping a block in a bucket, every time they hear a sound. This is engaging enough to hold a young child’s attention through a full test.

School-age children can usually do a standard audiogram with headphones, the same test adults do.

What happens if hearing loss is found

The next steps depend on the type and degree of hearing loss:

Conductive hearing loss (caused by middle ear problems like fluid or infections) may resolve with medical treatment. Your audiologist will coordinate with your child’s doctor or an ENT specialist.

Sensorineural hearing loss (caused by inner ear or nerve damage) is typically permanent and is managed with hearing aids. Children with severe to profound hearing loss may be candidates for cochlear implants.

Hearing aids for children are similar to adult hearing aids but built to withstand rougher handling. They come in bright colours that many kids enjoy, and they have tamper-resistant battery doors for safety. Pediatric hearing aids are programmed specifically for a child’s ear canal acoustics and adjusted as the child grows.

Beyond devices, children with hearing loss may benefit from speech-language therapy, FM systems in the classroom (which send the teacher’s voice directly to the child’s hearing aids), and educational accommodations.

Protecting your child’s hearing

Prevention is easier than treatment:

• Limit earbud and headphone volume to 85 decibels or lower. Many devices have parental volume controls.
• Use hearing protection at loud events like concerts, fireworks, and motorsports
• Treat ear infections promptly and follow up to ensure fluid has cleared
• Keep immunizations up to date, especially MMR
• Model good hearing habits yourself

Pediatric hearing services in Edmonton

At Medicine Place Hearing Care, our audiologists work with children of all ages. We make hearing tests comfortable and age-appropriate, and we take the time to explain results to parents in plain language.

If you have concerns about your child’s hearing, speech development, or classroom performance, a hearing test is a painless first step that takes under an hour.

Book a pediatric hearing test at Medicine Place Hearing Care in Edmonton. No referral needed.