U.S. National Library of MedicineNational Institutes of Health
Skip navigation
MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You
Contact Us FAQs Site Map About MedelinePlus
español

Printer-friendly version E-mail this page to a friend
Photograph of a female doctor examining the ear of a young girl

Most children hear and listen from the moment they are born. They learn to talk by imitating the sounds around them and the voices of their parents and caregivers. But not all children - about 2 or 3 out of every 1,000 children in the U.S. are born deaf or hard-of-hearing. More lose their hearing later during childhood.

Babies should have a hearing screening before they are a month old. If your child has hearing loss, it is important to consider the use of hearing devices and other communication options by age 6 months, because children start learning speech and language long before they talk.

Hearing problems can be temporary or permanent. Sometimes, ear infections, injuries or diseases affect hearing. If your child does not hear well, get help.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Start Here