Infant hearing aids prevent learning problems

29 August 2006

A new study has found that infants with hearing loss do not have problems with speech development if they are treated early.

The ongoing research by Federal Government agency Australian Hearing involves more than 200 newborn babies with hearing problems.

The children are being monitored for five years and will have their speech and communication skills tested every six months.

Senior researcher Teresa Ching says the results from the study's first 12 months show newborns who have had hearing aids fitted do not have any learning problems.

"Fifty children who first received hearing aids before six months of age are clearly showing that they are performing language levels that are equivalent to those of normally hearing children," she said.

"Whereas for children who received their hearing aids later - that is, after six months of age - those children were significantly below the performance of normally hearing children."

Source: ABC News Online
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