If they aren't properly diagnosed and treated early on, hearing losses can affect speech and language development in young children. The age at which your child's hearing loss was diagnosed and treated If your child has recurrent ear infections or a lot of fluid in her ear, that may affect her hearing and, consequently, her speech. She may mumble a lot, or have difficulty pronouncing some words. In most cases, this type of hearing loss is treatable medically. If it's a short-term problem from an ear infection , antibiotics will clear up the infection and the resulting blockage.
Hearing aids can rectify a permanent hearing loss.
Research suggests that the earlier you treat your child's hearing loss, the less it will affect her development. A relatively new surgically implanted device called a cochlear implant may also help children who don't benefit from hearing aids. An implant may give them some access to speech and language if it's used in combination with appropriate educational intervention. As with any source of medical or health care information, you should as a preliminary matter satisfy yourself that the credentials and experience of the source are suitable. The information provided through the Ask the Experts service is a general educational aid designed to help you discuss your unique medical or health concerns with your physician or qualified health care provider.