Vision And Hearing Screening

Why Vision And Hearing Screening Is Important At Any Age

Raising a child can be a wondrous journey for parents to experience and you never really stop learning new things along the way. Working with your pediatrician as you track your child’s development is just one way to stay on top of medical procedures and tests that are necessary to ensure that your child grows up healthy. One series of tests that are often thought of as unnecessary until the child reaches school age are the vision and hearing screening tests, something that should be a part of the child development track from newborn on. But why are they so important?

Proper vision and hearing screening tests are an important tool you and your doctor can use to aid your child’s development. All of us at Pediatric Partners want nothing more than to see your child healthy and happy, so call us today for an immediate appointment.

The Importance of Early Detection

Child development includes both the physical and mental stages, such as movement and speech. Being able to see clearly will help your child learn how to focus on people and objects, and begins the learning process of identifying and linking sounds to words to broader concepts. If there is something wrong with their vision, this development can become hampered, and delay your child in reaching those very important goals. With the current range of equipment available for vision tests today, even newborns can be tested because they are now automatic in nature, and extremely accurate.

Another reason that vision and hearing screening is important before your child reaches school age is that any hearing loss your child may be experiencing will severely limit them in engaging with the world around them, and impeding their social development. It is very important for a developing child to be able to connect with their surroundings, and recognizing sounds helps them to interact and comprehend everything that goes on around them, drawing them into a wide world of sensory interaction. Without it, they may withdraw completely.

Common Issues That Can Be Detected

Your child’s brain develops at an amazing pace during the first year of life. It also becomes adept at adapting to the sensory images it receives through their eyes, and if one or both eyes present blurry images, it will quickly learn how to ignore them, and focus more on whichever eye delivers the clearer image. If detected early enough, corrective measures can be taken, before their vision deteriorates further.

Vision and hearing screening tests can also detect genetic problems like underdeveloped Eustachian tubes in the ears, a problem that can not only lead to gradual hearing loss, but also to ear infections and other diseases. With the new technology available, limitations can be detected without needing interaction from the child, even at a very early age. It is important that all parents recognize the necessity for early screenings, for the health of their child.