Down Syndrome & Hearing Aids

Seventy-five percent of children with Down Syndrome (DS) experience a hearing loss in one or both ears and many can benefit from hearing aids, according to the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Types

• Most people with DS have a conductive hearing loss, meaning sounds enter the ear but aren't conducted through hearing pathways. However, 8 percent of people with DS have sensorineural hearing loss that blocks transmission along the nerves to the brain.

Causes

• A conductive hearing loss in people with DS can result from fluid in the middle ear, ear wax, or abnormalities in the structure of the ear. Sensorineural hearing losses are generally caused by damage to the hair cells in the ears or the auditory nerve.

Benefits

• A hearing aid provides amplification that can correct conductive hearing loss, and a receiver that helps transmits messages to the brain for people with a sensorineural hearing impairment.

Considerations

• If a child with DS needs a hearing aid, it's important to obtain it early in his life to promote speech and language development.

Tip

• Choose an audiologist certified by the American-Speech-Language Association who is familiar with hearing loss in people with DS. He can conduct audiometric testing to identify the right type of hearing aid, and help the person with DS learn to use it effectively.