Live Life Team
Children should be checked for their senses on a regular basis. When children grow, the senses such as hearing and vision also develop. The checks on them could reveal if they are developing such senses properly. Hearing and vision are the most important of all the senses. These tests indicate the condition of these senses. This enables providing treatment to the children, if needed. Above all, the causes for hearing and vision problems can be identified through tests on children.
If you doubt that your child has problems in hearing or vision, you should take them to your doctor for diagnosis. Your GP may refer your child to a specialist, if necessary. An optician can identify problems in vision, caused by untreated diabetes. Growths behind the eyes can cause vision problem. The optician may prescribe glasses to correct the vision of your child.
When these tests should be done
Even newborns can respond to sound and light. The staffs in hospital or midwives check every baby for response to sound and vision. This means, the tests are necessary right from the day of birth. The tests include checking for cataracts, infections when the child was in the womb and any congenital problems with respect to eyes and ears.
What are the routine tests for hearing and vision
Hospital staffs monitor the hearing and vision abilities of newborn children through routine tests, and identify the problems. They check for congenital deficiencies. The child may have impaired hearing if the mother had suffered of rubella during pregnancy. In UK, every newborn child is tested for hearing impairment. Normally, premature children can have problems in their hearing and vision. They may have squint eyes. There are chances that these defects are corrected naturally when they grow. However, tests are necessary to decide on treatment. Especially, premature children should be tested for retinopathy, as development of eyes stop in the late stage of pregnancy.
The hearing and vision of babies are usually checked for a few weeks after birth. You may be required to take your baby for subsequent tests when the baby is in the age of 6 – 9 months, 18 – 24 months, 3 – 3.5 years and at the start of primary schooling. You can have the hearing test done at the hospital for your child or during routine checks by a Health visitor, at your home. When the child starts schooling, a school nurse checks the child for hearing and vision. They do further tests when the child attains eleven years of age. Subsequent health checks are done on the children if they go with a complaint. You can take your child to a health visitor or school nurse without prior appointment too.
What are the additional tests for hearing and vision
Up to sixteen years of age, the children can have free eye tests. Your children may not be aware of their vision problems. Therefore, routine eye checks are advisable. Your child may be referred to an optician if the child has headaches due to eyestrain.
It may be necessary for the child to undergo hearing tests if the child had suffered bacterial meningitis or if the child had treatments with ototoxic drugs. Sometimes, head injury can also cause hearing loss.
