Children's Hearing: The Quick Reference
Children's Hearing: the whole thing in five minutes, for when you want the numbers and nothing else.
Detecting hearing problems while speech and language are developing.
Key takeaways
- Newborn hearing screening: offered to all babies
- Glue ear: very common; often resolves within three months
- Most useful single change: Accept newborn hearing screening.
- Commonest mistake: Waiting to see whether speech catches up.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Newborn hearing screening | offered to all babies |
| Glue ear | very common; often resolves within three months |
| Signs | not responding to sound, delayed speech, turning up the volume |
| Free NHS hearing tests | for all children |
In one paragraph
Undetected hearing loss delays speech and learning, and glue ear is common, temporary and easily missed.
Worth doing
- Accept newborn hearing screening
- Raise any concern about hearing or speech promptly
- Ask for reassessment if glue ear persists
Worth avoiding
- Waiting to see whether speech catches up
- Assuming inattention is behavioural without checking hearing
- Cotton buds in a child's ears
Where to go next
- Children's Hearing, Explained Without the Jargon
- Children's Hearing: What to Do, in Order
- Children's Hearing — the reference entry
- The Evidence on Communicating with Hearing Loss, Without the Hype
- The Evidence on Ear Anatomy and How Hearing Works, Without the Hype
When to speak to a doctor
See a GP promptly if a child does not respond to sound, has delayed speech, or has lost skills they previously had. Seek urgent help for ear pain with a high fever, swelling behind the ear, facial weakness, a stiff neck, or a child who is drowsy or floppy.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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