2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 22:35
A woman during pregnancy often talks to an unborn baby, reads fairy tales to him. The expectant mother tries to listen to pleasant music - after all, the baby hears everything! Already in the hospital, when the child was born and sleeps sweetly in the crib, the mother tries not to make noise and not disturb his sleep. And doctors are not afraid to speak loudly in the ward, saying that the baby does not yet perceive sounds. Who is right? Can a newborn baby hear?
How hearing is formed before birth
Babies begin to hear surrounding sounds even in the womb: at the 17th week of pregnancy - in general terms, and already from the 27th week they are aware of them and clearly perceive them.
Stages of hearing formation:
- 5 weeks - the rudiments of the inner ear are formed.
- 8 weeks – the structure of the middle ear is formed.
- Up to 4-5 months, the formation of the ear labyrinth occurs, then it begins to harden (hardening of the auditory ossicles continues almost until the birth of the baby).
- After 6 months - formedauricle (outer ear), and its cartilage hardens closer to childbirth.
In the womb at the age of 17 weeks, the baby can hear the beat of his mother's heart, her voice, intestinal motility. It picks up the vibrations of sound waves. And from about the end of the second trimester (from week 27), the baby can analyze sounds and perceive them clearly. In addition, he can even turn his head in the direction of the sound he heard.
Features of hearing in children after birth
Does a newborn baby hear in the first days of life? Yes, he hears. After the birth, a lot of sounds fall on the baby, which cause considerable discomfort to the baby. Each loud noise will cause the baby to flinch (this is a reflex).
From the first weeks, the intonation will be important for the baby, not the meaning of what is said. By the end of 1 month, the baby will be able to distinguish between familiar sounds (the voice of mom and dad, close relatives, the meowing of a four-legged pet, the ticking of a clock in the room) and unfamiliar ones (the voices of strangers, the sounds of new household appliances). He reacts calmly to familiar sounds, and to unfamiliar ones he is wary, wary. Now many parents know if newborn babies hear at 1 month.
Closer to 3 months, the speech and auditory centers are synchronized. In response to a familiar pleasant sound, the baby may throw up his arms and begin to “walk”. By 6 months, babies respond to their own name and can pick up which direction the sound is coming from.
Baby's reaction to sounds
Let's consider if newborn babies can hear sounds. What exactly are they paying attention to? Babies can already perceive the following:
- The pace of your speech.
- Changing voice timbre.
- Intonation.
- Other sounds. For example, the ringing of a rattle.
How do you know if a newborn baby can hear? To do this, you need to watch his reaction:
- freezing or flinching when new sounds appear;
- crying in response to a loud, harsh or unexpected sound;
- flapping arms and jerking legs;
- listening;
- eye search for a sound stimulus.
If you have watched the baby react like this more than once, it means that he hears everything perfectly. If in a dream the baby does not react to some sounds, then they simply do not irritate and disturb him.
How to help your child develop auditory perception?
The main task of parents is to help the newborn baby adapt to the new world. For the development of auditory perception with the crumbs, it is necessary to talk more often, let them listen to sounds of different keys, music (preferably classical). Very sharp and loud sounds should be avoided, as well as absolute silence.
Every day you need to do gymnastics with the baby, massage, bathe him. Each of the actions should be accompanied by conversations with the child. You can read him poems, jokes, and sing lullabies before going to bed. So the baby will begin to catch intonation notes, learn to perceive words. And you won't ask howdetermine if a newborn baby can hear. Everything will be clear and so.
How to care for baby ears
The little man is defenseless in a big and new world for him. It requires a careful and careful attitude. Any inaccurate action during the care of the baby's ears can disrupt the eardrum and damage hearing.
Basic care rules:
- Clean the ears once a week (after the baby has been bathed).
- Don't use cotton swabs, they can hurt.
- Roll up small cotton balls, remove the sulfur with them. Wipe your ear with a tissue.
- Watch the folds behind the ears, they can dry out and crack, causing discomfort to the baby. Lubricate the folds with baby oils or creams.
How to check if a newborn baby hears
Sometimes it may turn out that the baby has a hearing impairment: hearing loss or deafness. This can be said if he does not react in any way to a sharp sound (does not get scared, does not close his eyes or does not flinch).
If a three-month-old baby does not show a reaction to the ringing of rattles or a voice addressed to him, then this is a reason to contact a specialist. Sometimes it happens that a child has some degree of hearing loss. Some babies cannot hear high frequencies, but perceive only low and medium frequencies. Try one experiment. Pour some semolina into a metal or glass jar. Shake the jar over the baby's head to make the semolina make a sound. If babyreacts to the sound of semolina, which means that everything is fine with his hearing. This is one of the most effective ways to understand if a newborn baby hears.
Children of women in childbirth are at risk for hearing loss:
- those who had measles, rubella or influenza during pregnancy (especially if it was in the early stages, when hearing organs are just emerging in the fetus);
- who gave birth late or early;
- who used drugs or alcohol;
- who worked in hazardous industries (where they breathed toxic substances).
In order to timely notice and prevent possible hearing loss in a child, it is necessary to undergo regular medical examinations (mandatory scheduled):
- When the baby is 1 month old. At this age, he will be examined for auditory reflexes at the checkup.
- 6 months. Babies born prematurely (preterm) are advised to have a second checkup at 3 months.
- 1 year. At the medical examination, the baby will be carefully examined by an ENT and other specialists. The doctor will prescribe treatment (if necessary) or issue a referral for further examination.
Who has hearing problems
Hearing problems mostly affect the following categories of children:
- premature babies;
- children with ischemic brain damage;
- who underwent acute hypoxia during childbirth;
- babies born from a pregnancy in which the rhesus of the child and motherwere in conflict;
- children whose older generation had relatives with hearing loss or deafness.
When you need to show your baby to Laura
The sooner loving parents understand whether a newborn child hears or not, the more effective the treatment will be and there will be more chances to restore hearing. Be sure to take your child to the doctor if:
| Baby age | Signs of violations |
| 3 weeks | when awake does not respond to loud sharp sounds, does not listen to the familiar voice of father and mother |
| 3 months | does not turn her head to her mother's voice |
| 4 months | does not "hum", does not turn to the sound, does not pay attention to the singing of the musical toy |
| 5 months | does not respond with joyful babble to the appearance of mom and dad |
| 6 months | if the roar of a falling object (or other sharp sound) while awake, the baby does not start to roar or does not open his eyes wide |
| 10 months | doesn't try to make certain sounds |
| 1 year | does not respond to requests from parents, does not fulfill them |
| 2 years | child does not pronounce certain phrases and words |
All babies are different and it is impossible to fit everyone to medical standards. Some children are sometimes so addicted to the game that they do not notice what is happening around them. If you notice any signs of violations in a child - this is not a reason to despair, just go to the doctor to get checked. An experienced specialist will find out if the newborn baby hears, help with advice or prescribe treatment.
The most important thing is to love the baby. Read him more fairy tales, poems, sing songs. In a conversation, try to use different intonations, try to talk with a tiny whisper. The main focus is not on the quantity of communication, but on its quality. Sooner or later your dear baby will speak.
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