what would cause hearing loss in a child
Hearing loss Hearing loss may be caused by a number of factors, including: genetics, ageing, exposure to noise, some infections, birth complications, trauma to the ear, and certain medications or toxins.[2] A common condition that results in hearing loss is chronic ear infections.[2] Certain infections during pregnancy such as syphilis and rubella may also cause hearing loss.[2] Hearing loss is diagnosed when hearing testing finds that a person is unable to hear 25 decibels in at least one ear.[2] Testing for poor hearing is recommended for all newborns.[6] Hearing loss can be categorised as mild, moderate, moderate-severe, severe, or profound.[2] There are three main types of hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss.[3]
Phonological development Even though children do not produce their first words until they are approximately 12 months old, the ability to produce speech sounds starts to develop at a much younger age. Stark (1980) distinguishes five stages of early speech development:[16]