Learn how to identify if the baby does not hear well

To identify if the baby is not listening correctly, parents, family members or kindergarten teachers should be on the lookout for some warning signs, which include:

Newborn up to 3 months old

Does not react to loud sounds, such as an object falling near or a truck passing in front of the house; Does not recognize the voice of the parents and, therefore, is no longer calm when the parents speak to him; Does not wake up when speaking loudly near, especially when there was silence in the room.

Baby between 3 and 8 months old

Does not look towards the sounds when the television is switched on, for example; Does not make what kind of sound with the mouth; Does not use toys that make the most noise, such as rattle or toys with sounds; Does not change behavior or expression when you say 'no' or give an order with your voice.

Baby between 9 and 12 months old

Does not react when saying baby's name; Does not respond to music, dancing or trying to sing; Does not say words simple expressions like 'ma-ma' or 'da-da'; Does not recognize words for simple objects like 'shoe' or ' car'.

It is important to identify hearing problems in the baby in the first 6 months of life, because the sooner the problem is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can be started and, thus, avoid developmental problems, especially in the child's speech and social skills..

Generally, the baby's ability to hear is evaluated in the maternity ward with a deafness test, called an ear exam, which helps the doctor to check the baby's hearing and to detect some degree of deafness early. See how it is done: Ear test.

However, the baby's hearing may be perfect after birth, but decrease until a few months after birth, due to ear injuries or infections, such as chicken pox, mononucleosis or meningitis, for example. So, parents should be on the lookout for other signs that may indicate that their baby has trouble hearing.

What to do to not damage the baby's hearing

Although most cases of infant deafness cannot be prevented, as it is caused by genetic changes, there are other cases, especially of hearing loss after birth, that can be avoided. So some important tips include:

Avoid inserting objects into the baby's ear, even cotton buds, as they can cause injuries inside the ear; Watch for signs of ear infection or flu, such as a foul smell in the ear, fever, runny nose or refusal to eat, for example; Avoid expose the baby to very loud sounds, especially for a long time.

In addition, it is very important to give all vaccines under the National Vaccination Program, to prevent the development of infections, such as chicken pox or meningitis, which can cause deafness.