Hearing Health
For parents it is advisable to ensure that your baby has normal hearing and that your little one continues to stay healthy. To help you with this, here is a hearing health checklist for babies according to age.
Birth to Three Months
Responds to sounds with blinks, or may be startled
Attentive when hearing an unfamiliar noise or being called
Awakens at loud sounds
Responds to parents'voices
Creates cooing noises
Responds to noisy stimuli in the environment
Four to Five Months
Responds to sounds by turning the head and eyes
Six to Nine Months
Responds to nearly all environmental sounds
Looks in the appropriate direction of sounds
Nine to Twelve Months
Begins to imitate simple words
Begins to use voice to get attention
Be cautious with your baby's hearing by always maintaining hearing health safeguards. The purpose of these safeguards is to keep loud damaging noises from entering into your baby's surroundings and into those fragile little ears. Your baby's ears cannot tolerate the loud volume that adult ears can. Noises that can be damaging and often not given enough consideration include the following:
Vacuum cleaners today are powerful and loud. Avoid or limit exposure of your baby to this type of damaging sound.
Excessively loud TV and music played in the house. Turn down the volume for your baby's hearing health.
Excessively loud music played in the car. Your baby is strapped into the car seat in the back of the car, the same area where the large speakers are installed. The moment the music is turned up to an excessive volume, your baby's hearing is instantly at risk.
Loud events such as concerts, fireworks displays, and auto races are damaging to ears. Your baby or young child will need you to provide her with good ear protection.
Hearing health safeguards should be part of the daily routine. Hearing loss is the number one most preventable disability, and it begins with you, the parent.
