March 3, 2016 marks the 17th National Ear Care Day, with the theme "Focus on Children's Hearing Health." According to the Sixth National Population Census, China has over 220 million children aged 0-14. The Second National Sample Survey on Persons with Disabilities indicates a current prevalence rate of hearing impairment at 2.11%.which translates to over 4.6 million hearing-impaired children nationwide. Addressing children's hearing health is urgent, requiring early detection, intervention, and rehabilitation of hearing impairments.
Beijing has implemented universal newborn hearing screening, requiring all infants to undergo screening within 48 hours of birth.
Passing newborn screening does not guarantee lifelong hearing safety. Throughout a child's development, numerous factors can affect hearing, including cerumen impaction (commonly known as "earwax blockage"), otitis media, medication side effects, and noise exposure.Additionally, a small percentage of cases involve late-onset hereditary deafness, which may not manifest until the child starts school or even gradually develop into adulthood. Therefore, monitoring infant and toddler hearing, protecting their hearing, scheduling regular check-ups, and promptly identifying hearing issues are ongoing responsibilities for every conscientious parent.
If your child has recently had a cold, traveled by airplane, swum, or had water enter their ears during bathing; if they report ear pain or a feeling of fullness in the ears; if they appear unresponsive to calls or frequently require parents to repeat themselves; if they consistently use only one ear to answer the phone; or if their speech is unclear and their language development lags behind peers, a professional otologic examination and pediatric hearing screening at an ENT clinic are necessary.Parents with the means should ideally take their child annually to a medical facility equipped with hearing screening instruments for a professional hearing screening and evaluation.