Your Baby Has a Hearing Loss in One EarParent Information

Leaflet E

NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme

Produced by

Your Baby Has a HearingLoss in One Ear

Parents and families havemany questions when theyfind out their baby has ahearing loss. This bookletanswers some common questions.

It also tells you about someof the support available foryou and your baby and givesdetails of where you can gofor further information.

I have been told that my baby has a unilateralhearing loss, what doesthis mean?

This means your baby has a hearing loss in one ear only. You may also hear itreferred to as a one-sided or monaural hearing loss. There are different levels of hearing loss, described asmild, moderate, severe andprofound. A unilateral hearing loss can be at any of these levels in one ear.

Your audiologist will be ableto give you more informationabout the level of your baby’shearing loss. If your baby hasonly recently been identifiedas having a unilateral hearingloss, the audiologist mayneed to do more tests before they can give you thisinformation. Your baby’saudiologist will also be ableto put you in touch withother people who can help.

“He's a lovely lad with loads of determination, and a very strong personality, who shoutsjust as loud and clearly as everyone else in the football stadium.”

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For more information about your baby’s hearing screening test contact:

Copyright NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme 2007

MORE INFORMATION Please send me (please tick the boxes)

Name

Family Information PackInformation about different types of hearing loss, communication, education, technology, financial support and the range of NDCS services.

Understanding DeafnessA booklet describing the different types of hearing tests and hearing loss.

A Guide to Hearing AidsA guide to the different types of children’shearing aids, how they work and how to maintain them.

Address

Postcode

The National Deaf Children’s SocietyIf you would like to receive more information about childhood deafness and how the NDCS can support you, please complete the form above and post it to:

You can also contact the NDCS by:

Freephone Helpline: 0808 800 8880 (voice and text)E-mail: helpline@ndcs.org.uk Fax: 020 7251 5020Website: www.ndcs.org.uk

NOTES

The National Deaf Children’s Society15 Dufferin Street, London EC1Y 8UR

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Why does my baby have a unilateral hearing loss?

A unilateral hearing loss can be caused by different factors:

• It can be inherited. This means the gene for a hearing loss can be passeddown from either the motheror the father (even if no one else in the family has a hearing loss). In some cases the combination of the parents’ genes can resultin a hearing loss.

• It can be caused by problems during pregnancyor birth.

• It may also develop laterfollowing an illness, such as mumps or meningitis.

It is not always possible to identify the cause of a hearing loss. Your audiologist, doctor specialising in audiology, or ear, nose and throat (ENT)doctor will be able to giveyou more information aboutlooking into the cause ofyour baby’s hearing loss.

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OUTER EAR MIDDLE EAR INNER EAR

Pinna

Ear Canal

Eustachian Tube

Oval Window

Stapes

Malleus

Incus

Cochlea

SemicircularCanals(Balance)

AuditoryNerve

(To The Brain)

Eardrum

Diagram of Ear

What is a hearing loss?

There are two main types ofhearing loss: sensori-neuraland conductive. Sometimes a person may have bothtypes of loss in the same ear;this is called a mixed hearingloss. Each type of hearing loss has different causes andimplications for your baby.

What is a sensori-neuralhearing loss?

The ear is made up of threeparts. These are called: theouter ear; the middle ear;and the inner ear. Each ofthese parts has a differentrole to play in hearing. A sensori-neural hearing lossis a hearing loss in the innerear. This usually means thatthe part of the inner earcalled the cochlea is notworking effectively.

What is a conductive hearing loss?

A conductive hearing lossmeans that sound is unableto pass through the outerand middle ear to the innerear. It can be caused by blockages such as wax in theouter ear. In children it ismore commonly caused byfluid in the middle ear (whenthe fluid is thick this is knownas ‘glue ear’). This is verycommon and the hearing lossis temporary. It is possible tohave a permanent conductivehearing loss, but this is rare.

Children with a sensori-neural hearing loss can alsohave a temporary conductivehearing loss.

For further informationabout different types of hearing loss contact theNational Deaf Children’sSociety (NDCS) and ask for a copy of their booklet –Understanding Deafness.

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What support is available?

Your audiology clinic will continue to provide you withadvice and is responsible forthe ongoing management ofyour child’s hearing loss. Thiscan include hearing tests andthe fitting and maintenanceof a hearing aid. If your childis fitted with a hearing aid,the hearing aid, batteries andany related spare parts, areprovided free of charge.

The audiology clinic may also be able to referyour child to a doctor whospecialises in audiology or an ear, nose and throat (ENT)doctor. They can give information about the many medical aspects of your child’s hearing loss. They may also be involved intrying to establish the causeof your child’s hearing loss.

You may be referred to your Local Authority hearing impairment support service. It providesinformation and advice aboutdeveloping language andcommunication in the earlyyears. It can also give adviceto your child’s nursery or oth-ers who are involved in thecare of your child. Your audi-ology clinic will be able togive you contact details of your local service.

Social Services has a responsibility to assess whatspecialist equipment yourchild might need to use athome. They can also give youinformation and advice onwhat benefits your child may be entitled to, as well as services and support inyour area.

The National Deaf Children’sSociety (NDCS) has aFreephone Helpline that youcan call. They can provideyou with support and information on theissues affecting your child.

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Where will my child go tonursery and later on to school?

Children with a unilateralhearing loss who don’t have additional needs go tomainstream nurseries andschools. It is important thatyour child’s school is aware of their hearing loss so thatthey can support your child’sindividual needs.

When I was told that my baby had a unilateralhearing loss I was shocked. How do otherparents react?

All parents react differentlyand can feel a range of emotions. There is no right or wrong way to feel.Whatever your feelings, it is important to acknowledgeand share them and remember there is plenty of support available to helpyou. The National DeafChildren’s Society (NDCS) has a Freephone Helplinethat you can call. NDCS

advisers offer support andadvice and can answer anyquestions you have about aunilateral hearing loss.Contact details are at the end of this booklet.

What will a unilateralhearing loss mean as mychild grows up?

It is important that yourchild’s hearing loss is recognised and supported.With the appropriate supporta unilateral hearing lossshould not stop your childfrom reaching their potential.

What happens if my child’shearing changes?

If you suspect your child’shearing has altered then contact your audiology clinic.

It is advisable for your childto have regular hearingchecks, even if you do notthink your child’s hearing has altered.

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How will having a unilateral hearing loss affect my baby?

In babies and young childrenit can be difficult to tell thatthey have a unilateral hearing loss. The majority ofchildren with a unilateralhearing loss are able to hearnormal speech in a quietenvironment. Although they hear well in most environments, there are afew situations where theymay find it difficult to hear.

Children with unilateral hearing loss may have difficulty:

• Hearing sounds directedtowards their ear with thehearing loss.

• Telling which direction asound is coming from. We use both our ears to help us know where soundsare coming from, this can bedifficult for children with aunilateral hearing loss.

• Understanding speechwhen there is a lot of background noise.

• Understanding quiet voicesor soft sounds.

As they get older, it is important to teach childrenwith a unilateral hearing loss to take extra care whencrossing the road, as theymay not be aware of whichdirection traffic is comingfrom if they cannot see anyvehicles moving.

Will a hearing aid be useful for my baby?

Some babies with a unilateralhearing loss use a hearing aidand some do not. Hearingaids can be helpful for somechildren. However, a hearingaid does not provide thesame quality of hearing asthe child’s hearing ear. Thiscan lead to confusion whentrying to understand soundsor speech for some children.

Your audiologist will be ableto tell you more aboutwhether hearing aids will beuseful for your baby.

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What can I do to help mybaby to hear more clearly?

As your child develops youmay notice that they find it difficult to tell which direction a sound is coming from.

When you put your baby to sleep try to vary the sideyou lay your baby down on.If your baby is lying or breast-feeding on their hearing ear they will not beable to experience all of thesounds around them. Whenyou talk or sing to your babytry to avoid having yourbaby’s hearing ear pressedagainst your body.

What can I do to make listening easier for my baby?

• Move away from noiseswhen you want your baby to listen to you.

• Try to position yourself sothat your baby’s hearing earis closest to you when talkingto them. Come even closer ina noisy room or environment.

• When talking or singing to your baby, make sure thattheir hearing ear is not resting on you.

• Try to make sure background noise is kept to a minimum. A room that hassoft furnishings (like carpetsand curtains) helps to cutdown the effects of noise.

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How can I speak to mybaby to make my wordsclearer?

• Make sure you have yourbaby’s attention before youstart speaking.

• Good eye contact is important when you are communicating with your baby.

• Make your speech a little louder by getting closerto your baby rather than raising your voice.

• It is useful if you use ges-tures and appropriate facialexpressions to show whenyou are asking questions,feeling angry or happy etc.This will support what youare saying.

• Try to make sure there isgood lighting and that yourface is not in shadow. This isbest achieved by not standingwith the light, from a lampor daylight from a window or glass door, behind you.

• Speak clearly, naturally and at a normal pace.Speaking too slowly or shouting will distort the quality of the sound yourbaby hears.

What can I do to help mychild when they go tonursery and later on to school?

Most children with a unilateral hearing loss manage well at nursery and school. It is important to let the nursery and schoolstaff know about your child’shearing loss so they canensure, where possible, your child has the bestopportunity to fully participate in all that is taking place. If you let theteacher know about yourchild’s hearing loss they can monitor progress in class more closely. If you are concerned about yourchild’s schoolwork, talk with their teacher.

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