Does your child have frequent ear infections? Should you be concerned with the speech and language development?
Ear infections are one of the most common ailments in childhood, accounting for over 30 million doctor visits a year. Before their third birthday, 75% of child will have an ear infection. On average, half of them with have 3 or more cases by age 3.
In the United States, there are almost seven hundred thousand children, every year, having tiny plastic tubes inserted into their ears
When the middle ear has fluid in it, a child can have conductive hearing loss. It can make it difficult for your child to hear, it may sound unclear and muffled. This type of hearing loss can be mild or severe, and typically go away when the fluid is gone.
But when ear infections keep occurring, it can lead to permanent damage to the middle ear bones or eardrum. Which is why it is so important to have an ear infection properly treated.
According to the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), “Fluid in the ear that is not infected can present a special problem because there are no symptoms of pain and fever. Weeks and even months can go by. During this time, the child may miss out on information that can influence speech and language development. It’s important to take your child to regularly scheduled appointments with the pediatrician. The doctor will check your child’s ears at each visit. You should let the doctor know if your child has trouble hearing or responding, or if your child’s language seems delayed.
Children learn language and speech by listening to people talk. The first couple of years of life is particularly critical for development. If your child has chronic fluid in the middle ear and/or recurring ear infections, they may also have issues with speech and language development.
If you suspect your child has a speech -language disorder, early intervention makes all the difference. At First Words Speech Therapy we are dedicated to meeting your child’s speech and language disorder with personalized care.
