Signs of Hearing Impairment in Infants: Seven Months to a Year
By the time a child reaches the age of seven months, signs of hearing impairment become more apparent and can even manifest as difficulties in speaking or communicating. In typically developing infants at this stage, they begin to exhibit responses to sounds by turning towards the source, actively listening when someone speaks, and showing understanding of simple words. As their development progresses, babies often start imitating speech patterns and engage in “baby talk” as a means to seek attention. However, the absence of these communication behaviors may indicate a potential hearing impairment in infants at this age.
Lack of Communication
During the first year of their life, infants typically reach a milestone where they can utter single words like “mama” or “dada.” Moreover, they become adept at identifying the origin of sounds. However, if a child fails to make eye contact while someone is speaking, it could indicate a hearing impairment. The extent of the hearing loss determines whether the child responds to certain voices or sounds. For instance, if the child reacts to deeper voices but not higher-pitched ones, they might be experiencing high-frequency hearing loss.