Spotting signs of a hearing problem

Although your child will be offered routine hearing tests as they grow up, it's still important for you to look out for signs of any problems and seek adviceif you have any concerns.

For babies, the checklist in your baby's personal child health record (red book) can be used to help youcheck your child's hearing as they grow up.

You can also download two checklists produced by the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme: one that tells you what sounds your baby should make (PDF, 28kb) andone that tells you what sort of sounds your baby should react to (PDF, 28kb) .

In older children, signs of a possible hearing problem caninclude:

• inattentiveness or poor concentration
• not responding when their name is called
• talking loudly and listening to the television at a high volume
• difficulty pinpointing where a sound is coming from
• mispronouncing words
• a change in their progress at school

Speak to your GP or health visitor if you're concerned about your child's hearing. Your child can have a hearing test at any age.