Stressing the need for early detection of hearing defects, hearing aid manufacturer Widex-Denmark Regional Manager Mads Prebensen said in the discussion that jaundice, infection, consumption of over dosage of antibiotics by mother during pregnancy and lack of sufficient oxygen after birth were the main factors affecting the sense in a child.

"In detecting hearing defect, parents' role is very important. The child should be closely observed always. If hearing defect is hereditary, the new born should be subjected to tests at the earliest," he said in a panel discussion about 'Hearing Loss in Children,' organised on the occasion of the first-ever Doctors conclave-cum-seminar here.

Seeking to dispel the social stigma attached to wearing a hearing aid, he said a child could start using a hearing aid even at the tender age of six months. Along with coaching by the parents, it would help the child to get adjusted to the machine and overcome the defect.

Reiterating that early detection was vital to overcome the problem, given the fact that one out of every 20 people in the country was suffering from a hearing problem, the panelists said "hearing loss in children should be detected at the time of birth itself. The first two years are the golden period in a child's life as his ability to understand language and grasping power is high then. But in most cases, it is detected only at the age of six or seven, thereby denying him the opportunity to learn."

Former cricketer and Widex India Brand Ambassador Syed Kirmani, said ''hearing impairment should not be seen as a disease or handicap. Wearing hearing aids is just like wearing spectacles. We should create awareness about it.''

Dr A K Lahiri, Head of the Department, ENT, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, said "it is a misconception that hearing loss only affects the elderly as 50 per cent of the hearing impaired are below the age of 65, many of them children or youth."

From Deccan Herald