Will my child really benefit from a hearing loss if they only have a loss in one ear?  Will it be worth the expense in the long run?  There's been some confusion with regard to whether or not a child with hearing loss in just one ear should be fit with a hearing aid.  Even some physicians and audiologists can give conflicting answers.  New evidence is out, and anyone struggling with these questions should read further.

There is mounting evidence that providing a hearing aid for a child with normal hearing in one ear and some degree of hearing loss in the other can provide significant benefits in school, at home and socially.

We all know that we hear from our ears, but our brain is needed to interpret the signal clearly.  If a child has a good signal from each ear, the brain has more to work with.

Our brains help us to localize sound by measuring the time difference between when a sound hits each ear.  With two ears a child is better able to locate a parent's or teachers voice from among the crowd.

Filtering out background noise is much easier with two ears for the same reason.  The brain can focus on what's in front. 

Even though it may be difficult to "see" the difference, studies have shown that some children with untreated unilateral hearing loss are more at risk for speech, language, reading and academic performance problems (Ross, Gaffnewy, Green & Holstrum, Seminars in Hearing, 2008).  

Talk to your audiologist about these issues, as there are various options you can use to help your child.  Let us know of your child's experiences.