As we all know, hearing loss is a common condition, which depends on the age at which it occurs, and as it progresses, it very often becomes a serious disability which creates problems in the patient's communication and speech development.
Especially in children, the proper function of hearing ability contributes decisively both to the development of speech and to their psychological development.
Frequency: 3 to 4 children in a thousand are born with a hearing problem, while one in a thousand is born with profound hearing loss (deafness).
Children with congenital anomalies or syndromes accompanied by hearing loss, birth injuries, maternal rubella, nuclear jaundice (very high jaundice requiring blood transfusion), meningitis, taking ototoxic drugs are at high risk of hearing loss. In these cases, the Pediatric Otorhinolaryngologist is aware and starts the hearing tests too early.
But there are many cases where there is none of the above reasons, nor a history of hearing loss in the family and yet newborns are born with unilateral or bilateral hearing loss.
With the help of genetics, it was found that these are mutations in connective genes, which are considered responsible for the appearance of some forms of congenital sensorineural hearing loss.
And the chances are quite high, if one considers that one in 28 Greeks is a carrier of this mutated gene.
Although the necessity of early diagnosis was notified, it was not detected in children aged about 2½ -3 years until recently.

Indicators of childhood hearing loss

The main indications for the existence of childhood hearing loss are the following

From 0 to 6 months
The oto-biliary reflex that is manifested by the closing of the eyelids or tightening of them when a sound stimulus of about 100dB is released does not appear.
The Moro reflex, which is manifested by jumping of the whole body or opening of the arms and extension of the legs to an intense sound stimulus, does not appear.
The awakening of the newborn to a sound of 70-80 dB.
From 6 months to 2 years
If he doesn't turn his head to the tap of a spoon in the cup, to the tap of a rattle (without seeing us, of course).
If he doesn't get excited about toys that make noise
If ordinary noises such as sudden music or dog barking do not distract him from the game.
After the 12th month
If he does not react when his name is called and does not try to imitate sounds.
After 18 months
If he does not have an active vocabulary of about 30 words that is constantly being enriched.
After 2nd year
If it does not form sentences, at least 2-3 words.

Unfortunately, however, none of these methods provide quantitative assessments and are considered unsafe especially when performed by parents or physicians without experience in pediatric audiology.
Today, with the evolution of computer technology and modern laboratory and objective methods, we can have excellent diagnostic and therefore therapeutic results, in hearing disorders at all stages (newborns-infants-children), even without their cooperation.