How does down syndrome affect hearing?

Children with Down’s syndrome are more likely to have congenital permanent inner ear hearing loss than the general population (which has an incidence of 1:1000). From teenage years onwards they a likely to develop degenerative cochlear changes, and most will have a significant hearing loss by the age of 40 years.

Increased sensitivity to sounds

Hyperacusis is more prevalent in individuals with Down syndrome. It may affect individuals in different ways, for example refusal to go to large indoor areas e.g. shopping centres, or hyperacusis to certain sounds, for instance rattle of cutlery.

Children with Down Syndrome are susceptible to hearing loss because of: Narrow ear canals. Fluid in the middle ear. Increased incidence of chronic ear diseases.

Other hearing issues in children with Down’s syndrome

For example about 10–15% Of children with Down’s syndrome have sensorineural deafness.

Middle Ear Infections (Otitis Media) are particularly common in children with Down syndrome. This is Due to the problems of poor drainage of the sticky glue And the fact that people with Down syndrome are more susceptible to infections of all kinds.

The difference could lie in the size and shape of the larynx itself. It is known that individuals with Down syndrome may have physical abnormalities such as incomplete development of the sinus areas of the skull ( Benda, 1969 ).

Low vocal pitch and hoarse, harsh or raucous voice Have frequently been ascribed to individuals with Down syndrome (Benda, 1949; Novak, 1972; Shprintzen, 1977; Strazzulla, 1953).

The most common communication problems for adults with Down syndrome are that their speech may be difficult to understand (speech intelligibility) and that they have difficulty with long conversations, with telling about what happened to them or retelling a story, and with asking for specific clarifications when they …

Potentially serious complications — The most serious complications of Down syndrome include Heart defects, blood disorders that can include leukemia (cancer of the blood), and immune system problems. Heart defects — Approximately half of all babies with Down syndrome are born with (often repairable) heart defects.

Kids with Down syndrome often have similar physical features, such as a flat facial profile, an upward slant to the eyes, Small ears, and a tongue that tends to stick out. Low muscle tone (called hypotonia) is also common in kids with Down syndrome but is less obvious as they get older.

Children with Down’s syndrome are more likely to have congenital permanent inner ear hearing loss than the general population (which has an incidence of 1:1000). From teenage years onwards they a likely to develop degenerative cochlear changes, and most will have a significant hearing loss by the age of 40 years.

Most individuals with Down syndrome have Mild (IQ: 50–69) or moderate (IQ: 35–50) Intellectual disability with some cases having severe (IQ: 20–35) difficulties. Those with mosaic Down syndrome typically have IQ scores 10–30 points higher than that.

I.Q. Scores for people with Down syndrome vary, with the average cognitive delays being mild to moderate, not severe. In fact, normal intelligence is possible. If a person with Down syndrome has difficulty with hearing, it can be misinterpreted as a problem with understanding.

After the age of three, children with Down syndrome should have a hearing test performed Annually. Hearing aids should be considered even in cases of mild hearing loss to prevent delays in educational, emotional, and language-related development.

Down syndrome is associated with common characteristic features of the eyes. This includes Upward slanting of the eyelids, prominent folds of skin between the eye and the nose, and small white spots present on the iris (the colored part of the eye) called Brushfield’s spots.

10 Things You Should Never Say to a Mother of a Child with Down Syndrome

• Nothing. …
• “You only get given what you can handle.” …
• “He/she is God’s gift.” …
• “I could never handle what you handle.” …
• The “R” word. …
• “Did you get genetic testing?” …
• ‘ …
• “Everything happens for a reason.”

When adjusting for confounders, in 2012, individuals who identify as Black (aOR 0.56; 95% CI 0.46-0.67), Hispanic (aOR 0.73; 95% CI 0.63-0.84), or Asian (aOR 0.51; 95% CI 0.40-0.66) Had lower odds of Down Syndrome diagnoses when compared to white individuals.

Hearing loss is common in children with Trisomy 21 (also known as Down syndrome). Children with Trisomy 21 have issues with speech and language development. If there is also a hearing loss, then a very severe language delay can occur.

Individuals with Down syndrome may have sensory challenges related to proprioceptive input. Proprioceptive input is sensory input to the muscles and joints. People with Down syndrome tend to have low muscle tone, which can affect how they interpret sensory input coming in through their muscles and joints (Bruni, 2016).

Unique talents

All people with Down syndrome are gifted with talents. It could be poetry, creative art or even reading other people’s emotions. People with Down syndrome want to be seen both as a part of a group and as unique with their own talents. Be sure to encourage children without putting pressure on them.