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How to Care for a Baby With a Hearing Aid

According to Dr. Mary Pat Moeller of the Center for Childhood Deafness at Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, each day in the United States, 33 infants are born with hearing loss---about 12,000 babies a year. Most of these will require hearing aids. Not surprisingly, caring for a baby with a hearing aid has its special concerns.

Things You'll Need

  • Tone hooks or wig tape
  • Hat with Velcro chin strap
  • Hearing aid clip
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Instructions

  1. Caring for a Baby with Hearing Aids

    • 1

      Choose between a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid and an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid. For babies, BTE hearing aids are usually preferred because babies' ears grow so quickly, and BTE styles require less-frequent changes in order to fit. In addition, ITE styles can be dangerous. If the baby takes a tumble, the hard plastic could cut her ear canal.

    • 2

      Decide whether to fit your baby with one or two hearing aids. If both of the baby's ears have poor hearing, strongly consider using hearing aids in both ears. Babies learn language skills much better if they can hear through both ears, and being able to hear from both ears also helps children know where sound is coming from, which is an important safety consideration.

    • 3

      Check the fit of your baby's hearing aids every day. While babies won't outgrow BTE styles as rapidly as ITE styles, BTEs usually have a section that's specially fitted to your baby's ear. To keep your baby's hearing at its best, this must be refitted as the child grows.

    • 4

      Ask your baby's audiologist for specific guidelines in using and caring for your baby's hearing aid(s).

    • 5

      Ask your audiologist about baby-sized tone hooks to help prevent your baby's hearing aids from falling off during sleep. Toupee or wig tape can also work well, and is readily available in beauty supply stores.

    • 6

      Cover your baby's head with a hat that covers her ears and fastens with Velcro under her chin until she grows used to her hearing aids. This will prevent her from pulling them out. However, make certain the hat doesn't interfere with the sound the hearing aid picks up.

    • 7

      Use hearing aid clips that attach to your baby's clothing, making it harder for the devices to fall out and become lost.

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