CHILDREN
CHILDREN DEBBIE BAERLOCHER PEDIATRIC AUDIOLOGIST
PEDIATRIC AUDIOLOGIST
WITH
WITH IDAHO ELKS HEARING AND BALANCE CENTER
DAYNA HUNTWORK
VESTIBULAR PHYSICAL
THERAPIST WITH IDAHO
ELKS HEARING AND
BALANCE CENTER
HOW COMMON IS
HEARING
HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN? 1-3/1000 BABIES ARE
BORN WITH HEARING
LOSS; AMOUNTING TO
ROUGHLY 12,000
CHILDREN PER YEAR.
THERE ARE
APPROXIMATELY 1
MILLION CHILDREN WITH
HEARING LOSS 18 YEARS
AND YOUNGER. EVEN
THOUGH HEARING LOSS IS
THE MOST COMMON
PROBLEM A CHILD CAN BE
BORN WITH, LATE-ONSET
OR PROGRESSIVE HEARING
LOSS IS EVEN MORE
PREVALENT: 6-18/1000
DEPENDING ON THE AGE.
WHAT CAUSES HEARING
LOSS?
LOSS? HEARING LOSS CAN BE CAUSED BY MANY
FACTORS: GENETICS,
VIRUSES, SYNDROMES.
THE TERM CONGENITAL
HEARING LOSS IMPLIES
THAT THE HEARING LOSS
IS PRESENT AT BIRTH.
GENETIC FACTORS ARE
THOUGHT TO CAUSE
MORE THAN 50% OF
CONGENITAL HEARING
LOSS IN CHILDREN. THERE
ARE SOME GENETIC
SYNDROMES IN WHICH,
HEARING LOSS IS ONE OF
THE KNOWN
CHARACTERISTICS SUCH
AS DOWN SYNDROME.
40% OF CHILDREN WITH
HEARING LOSS HAVE
OTHER ISSUES OR
PROBLEMS SUCH AS
VISION PROBLEMS,
BALANCE ISSUES OR
VESTIBULAR PROBLEMS. IF
WE IDENTIFY A BALANCE
PROBLEM OR POSSIBLE
VESTIBULAR ISSUE THE
PATIENT CAN BE REFERRED
TO OUR VESTIBULAR
PHYSICAL THERAPIST FOR
A MORE IN-DEPTH
ASSESSMENT.
WHAT IS A VESTIBULAR
DISORDER?
THE VESTIBULAR SYSTEM
INCLUDES PORTIONS OF
THE INNER EAR AND
BRAIN THAT HELP
CONTROL BALANCE AND
EYE MOVEMENTS. IF THE
SYSTEM IS DAMAGED BY
DISEASE OR INJURY,
VESTIBULAR DISORDERS
CAN RESULT, AND ARE
OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH
BALANCE PROBLEMS,
DIZZINESS AND ISSUES
WITH VISION. A CHILD
WITH A VESTIBULAR
PROBLEM MAY HAVE
DELAYED MILESTONES,
FREQUENT FALLS, MOTION
SENSITIVITY AND
DIZZINESS OR NAUSEA
WITH MOVEMENT. THE
CHILD MAY ALSO HAVE
DIFFICULTY READING
BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS
WITH GAZE
STABILIZATION. MORE
THAN 5% OF CHILDREN
ARE KNOWN TO HAVE
PROBLEMS WITH
DIZZINESS AND BALANCE.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO
HELP CHILDREN WITH
VESTIBULAR PROBLEMS?
WE OFFER A PEDIATRIC
VESTIBULAR PHYSICAL
THERAPY CLINIC AT OUR
BOISE LOCATION EVERY
OTHER MONTH WHERE
THE CHILD IS EVALUATED
BY A PEDIATRIC AND
VESTIBULAR PHYSICAL
THERAPIST. OR THE CHILD
CAN BE REFERRED FOR A
VESTIBULAR EVALUATION
AT ANY TIME. VESTIBULAR
REHABILITATION INVOLVES
EXERCISES DESIGNED TO
IMPROVE BALANCE,
DECREASE DIZZINESS
SYMPTOMS, IMPROVE
POSTURAL CONTROL AND
GAZE STABILITY. THE
EXERCISES PRESCRIBED
MAY INCLUDE
HABITUATION EXERCISES,
GAZE STABILIZATION
EXERCISES, BALANCE
RETRAINING,
COMPENSATORY
RETRAINING, COMPENSATORY STRATEGIES, FALL
PREVENTION, PARENT
EDUCATION, AND SAFETY
EDUCATION.
FULL-SCREEN:
EDUCATION. FULL-SCREEN: SIGNS OF A POSSIBLE
VESTIBULAR PROBLEM:
UNSTEADINESS
FREQUENT FALLS
DELAYED PHYSICAL
MILESTONES
UNUSUAL EYE
MOVEMENT
SKIPPING LETTERS OR
WORDS WHILE READING
DIFFICULTY READING
BEHAVIORAL CHANGES
NAUSEA/VOMITING
WITH POSITION CHANGES
AVOIDS MOVEMENT
CRAVES MOVEMENT
COMPLAINTS OF
DIZZINESS
DISCUSS ANY CONCERNS
WITH YOUR CHILD'S
PEDIATRICIAN.
EVALUATION AND
TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE
AT THE IDAHO ELKS
HEARING AND BALANCE
CENTER. CALL 208-385-