2013 Volume 56 Issue 6 Pages 725-734
Children with mild to moderate hearing loss react partially to sounds and voices and show inadequate development of speech and language skills; therefore, the hearing loss in these patients tends to be discovered late, causing a delay in rehabilitation and hearing development that eventually results in issues in language skills as well as emotional problems. However, as screening of neonates for hearing loss has been widely practiced in recent years, it is possible to detect hearing loss very early during infancy, and some patients have shown favorable growth and development. On the other hand, many children are not subjected to screening, and in many cases, condition occurs in conjunction with late-onset hearing loss/multiple handicaps; therefore, suitable tests as well as various ways of dealing with each situation need to be further developed. In addition, we expect an increase in the use of hearing aids as well as use of hearing aids at an earlier stage; simultaneously, we provide a detailed account of the financial burden posed on young parents who have to buy hearing aids for their children, provision of public assistance by local governments, and active interventions in terms of treatment and rehabilitation.
