National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management: News Collector - News

Early intervention helps infants born deaf

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Infants with permanent hearing loss who are enrolled in an early intervention program before the age of 3 months may benefit in terms of language development. Children with hearing loss who received intervention services before 6 months of age had language scores comparable to those of hearing children at 3 years of age.

What if your baby cannot hear?

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Gurgling noises and playful sounds are all part of a baby's development. A baby should respond to sound from an early age, but what if your baby cannot hear? Hearing loss affects between three and six children per 1 000 and if a child cannot hear, it will affect the development of language. Doctors suggest that the earlier hearing loss is detected in a baby, the better the outcome will be.

Deafness needs to be tapped young

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Childhood deafness needs to be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. Doctors emphasize that early diagnosis has a major impact on the child's power of speech. Once deafness is detected, treatment is required soon, because after about five years of age whatever is done to correct deafness might not give the child speech, which is a pity in light of revolutionary treatment methods for deafness now available.

Cochlear implants open a world of sound to many with hearing loss

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 MDT

For millions of people in America, listening to music is impossible. However, there is hope for many deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Cochlear implants can introduce sound to many of those who live in silence. Many children who have cochlear implants early in life learn to understand speech and speak very clearly. These implants can change a child's life...kids who have cochlear implants work hard to learn to understand sound, and a supportive family and educational environment is important.

Boston University is Developing an Online Dictionary For The Deaf

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Since 90-percent of all deaf children have hearing parents, difficulty communicating often occurs and locating a sign in the dictionary is not as simple as looking up a word. Fortunately, new technology will assist in the looking up and teaching of new signs, making life a lot easier for those who are deaf. Joan Poole Nash, ASL Linguistic Researcher at Boston University is working on an interactive video project that will permit a person to demonstrate a sign in front of a camera and a computer program will interpret and explain the meaning of the sign.

America Hears, Inc. Donates Hearing Aids To 'Help-The-Children-Hear' Program

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 MDT

America Hears, Inc., made its first donation of more than 100 used hearing aids to Help the Children Hear. Help the Children Hear was initially founded to provide hearing assistance to lower-income hearing impaired children of Tucuman Province in Argentina. Now Help the Children Hear donates hearing aids to children throughout the world. The donated hearing aids are reconditioned and given to children who need hearing assistance.

Better Hearing Institute Warns: Untreated Hearing Loss Puts Children at Risk

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Too many children with hearing loss aren’t getting adequate help and are being put at risk for social, emotional, behavioral, and learning difficulties. Citing a national study exploring the unforeseen consequences of untreated hearing loss in America’s children, the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) warns that a large part of the problem is that many parents today either don’t recognize their child’s hearing problem, minimize it, or have been given misinformation regarding the ability to treat the child’s hearing loss. In fact, at least 50% of parents don’t go back for detailed testing when their infant fails an initial hearing screening.

Don't Take Perfect Hearing For Granted

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 MDT

It is estimated that over eighteen thousand children have some form of hearing disability. Early detection of hearing loss in children allows for timely treatment and prevents social and learning difficulties. There are two types of hearing problems: Sensorineural hearing loss is generally permanent and affects the inner ear. It is usually present at birth due to congenital abnormality, heredity factors and viral infections during pregnancy eg. rubella. The other major type of hearing loss is Conductive hearing loss. This occurs as the result of problems in the middle ear or because of blocked ear canals e.g. glue ear.

USPSTF Recommends Universal Screening for Hearing Loss in Newborns

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 MDT

All newborns should be screened for hearing loss, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF. The USPSTF recommends that screening programs be conducted using a one- or two-step protocol, such as otoacoustic emission.

Cochlear Announces Milestone in Hearing Restoration

no@spam.com (Jamie Olsen) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Cochlear, the world's leader in advanced hearing technologies, announced a landmark milestone when Dr. Thomas Roland, Jr., MD performed the 120,000th cochlear implant device procedure. Cochlear implants are the only medical device designed to restore one of the five human senses and cochlear implants have the ability to restore hearing for individuals who are severely hard of hearing or who are profoundly deaf.