Question for those of you with infants with hearing aids

[BrayJJ]

My son got his hearing aids last week. (He's having tubes put in his ears on the 30th as well). He's diagnosed as having severe hearing loss. He has hydrocephalus which is probably what caused it.

I haven't even been able to use the aids with him because all they do is squeal. If I hold my thumbs over them, they don't squeal, but as soon as I let them off, they squeal.

He is 3 months old.

If he turns his head (he has a flat head due to the hydro), they just fall out.

I know that hearing aids squeal a lot when they are laying down, but seriously, his aids are LOUD. I know he has tiny ears and has a severe loss (I can't even listen to them squeal because it hurts my ears, so i can imagine why he's getting mad)


The audiologist said that they should still fit. I asked another mom and she said it sounds like they just aren't fitting.

How often do you get new molds made? They told me every 3 months he'd get new molds and this mother told me I'd need new molds maybe every 2 weeks-1 month atleast.

IT takes 10 days to get the new molds. THey did fit him for new molds when they gave me the hearing aids because the one didn't fit him quite right. He was fitted for those 1 week ago and he won't get his new molds till the 7th of Jan, when they do another 2 hour ABR after he gets his tubes.

They are behind the ear ones.

Hubby won't even try them anymore because he says this high pitched squealing is pointless because there is no way he could hear above that when it hurts our ears so badly.

[laohaire]

I don't have any knowledge of hearing aids in infants, but I wear them myself. They squeal when they don't fit or are not properly inserted.

I would take them out for now, take him to the audiologist or hearing aid provider asap and have them take a look. If they can get the hearing aids in without them squealing, don't leave the office until you are able to YOURSELF get them in properly.

I would think it would be hard to insert them into another person, so don't feel inept.

The squealing IS loud when it's in your ear so I would not allow this to persist. Honestly, I agree with your hubby, if they are squealing, take them out. If they are squealing just sometimes and then you can adjust, that's fine, but if they are just squealing that is torture!

[laohaire]

I reread. So you have new molds coming on 7 Jan.

Well, it's up to you, either just take them out and just wait for the new ones. Or escalate it.

I can't speak for you, and I don't even know the type or degree of your son's loss, but if it were ME, I'd just wait till 7 Jan and not sweat it.

[fairejour]

Well, I have been in *almost* your shoes! But my daughter didn't get her aids until 18 months.

Bad news on two parts, you are going to need new molds more often than every three months, and for the first year they are going to squeal ALL THE TIME!

Does your audiologist work with babies all the time? If not, find a new one. Look at a children's hospital. Are you going to sign? I really recommend it, especially with a severe loss. Also, are you considering a cochlear implant? My daughter got her's last year, with a severe loss, and it has been amazing.

Ask away, I'm here to help. Welcome to the journey!

Feel free to check out my blog:
www.misskatsmom.blogspot.com

[fairejour]

Oh, and it is super important that you keep them in all waking hours, whenever possible. When hw doesn't have them in, not only can he not hear, but his brain is changing. It is adapting to being without sound, and it takes twice as much work to change the brain back, and train it to listen.

I know the squealing sucks, but it is worth it. And I promise, the baby can't hear the squealing!

[PatchChild]

DS has had hearing aids since he was 5 weeks old and the early months were the worst. Babies grow so fast that the molds are outgrown by the time you get them. We got new sets made every 4 weeks, and sometimes that was too long in between. When you get your next set made, ask if the impressions can be wax dipped before the new molds are made. That makes the molds you get back a little bit bigger, to help compensate for the growing. After about 6-8 months of age, they stop growing so madly fast.

We also made sure that DS was upright a lot of the time. He was mad as heck if he couldn't see what was going on (duh, a Deaf baby who wants to see, who would have thought!). Sitting up, even propped up on someone or in a sling, made it a lot easier for the molds to stay on.

Fortunately, DS now wears them with no complaints, no issues, and his speech is off the charts. It is SO worth the struggles to keep them on.

Good luck mama!!

[ElsieLC]

Have you tried Otoferm or other gel? It's like caulk for tiny hearing aids. We used it a lot in the beginning. We got it from the audiologist.

And depending on your child's particular type of hearing loss, your son might not even hear the squealing.

Your sanity is important, too...you could limit the hearing aid use to the stroller or the like, when you are less likely to be bothered, at least until the new molds arrive and they fit for two whole days

[Marsupialmom]

I would work with a audiologist/ENT that solely pediatric if all possible.

Try to keep them in as much as possible.

I think the hardest Part I had was getting them in all the way.

[hdirks]

Hearing Aids

My daughter is 10 months old and had aids since she was 3 months. At the beginning when she was that little we had to get new molds every 2 weeks. and they took two weeks to come in so by the time we got them they practically didn't fit anymore. When they did fit the only time they would squeal is if they were falling out or if she was laying on that side of her head. It sounds like yours just are too small and don't fit right.

[Lindsay1234]

Do you use a strap to hold them on? We had a DUH moment when we realized all the squeaking was from the strap pulling them out when she turned her head!

Our audiologist said that you need a REALLY tightly fitted mold the more loss you have or you will hear that squeaking all the time (btw, it was driving me INSANE too!)

Once we got the aids adjusted to the right frequency and also got the new molds, she was pretty good about not touching them.

During the times when she is SUPER grabby, we just turn them off and leave them in and she seems to be ok with them. I think the new noise is sometimes a little too much for her!

[hdirks]

Actually I found that Toupe (sp?) tape works best for her. That way we can just tape them to the back of the aids and then to her head. it doesn't pull her hair out and she leaves them alone. You can but it at any wig store or salon and it works great for my daughter!