Signs of Hearing Loss in Babies

As we age, asking people to repeat themselves or having the TV volume constantly blasting can be reliable indicators of hearing issues.

But for babies and toddlers, what early signs of hearing loss should families look out for? Hear and Say Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Lynda Farwell, offered her thoughts.

Staying on top of hearing health

“We know that one to two in every 1,000 babies born in Australia have hearing loss, but what many people don’t realise is that this figure doubles by the time kids reach school age^1,2. This means that a baby who passes their newborn hearing screening at birth may still go on to develop a childhood hearing loss,” said Lynda.

“That’s why it’s important to always keep an eye on your child’s hearing, and ideally book them in for a hearing test should any concerns arise.”

Monitoring developmental milestones

Lynda noted that delayed developmental milestones in young children can be a sign of hearing loss. Keeping a close eye on your child’s listening, language and speech milestones, such as those listed below, helps to determine if their hearing is developing.

By six months

Recognises and responds to parent’s voice
Responds to own name
Vocalises when alone, with single vowel sounds and babbling
Maintains eye contact; responds in different ways to different people

By 12 months

Responds to simple directions, e.g. “No”, “Bye-bye” and “Sit down”
Understands “Mummy” and “Daddy”
Begins to produce some simple words and sounds of common animals/objects/vehicles
Imitates words and speech intonation

By 18 months

Follows one familiar direction
Understands family members’ names
Uses 20 to 100 words
Correct use of vowels and /b/, /t/, /d/, /m/ and /n/ sounds in single words

By 24 months

Understands action words (such as ‘run’ and ‘sit’) and prepositions (such as ‘in’ and ‘under’)
Uses 100 to 500 words; two-word phrases; 50 per cent intelligible in speech
Identifies picture in book when named

By 30 months

Understands names of six body parts; understands “big” and “little”
Points to an object described
Uses 300 to 600 words; two-to-three-word sentences; 70 per cent intelligible in connected speech
Counts to two

References

Queensland Health. (2020). Screening Protocols and Guidelines 2016 V2. Queensland Health. https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/PDF/healthy-hearing/2017-newborn-prot-guide.pdf
Choi, S. M. R., Kei, J., & Wilson, W. J. (2017). Rates of hearing loss in primary school children in Australia: A systematic review. Speech, Language and Hearing, 20(3), 154-162.