214 why children lose their hearing and what we can do
Injury
A child can cause infection or poke
a hole in the eardrum if she puts
a sharp object (like a matchstick,
feather, or pencil) in the ear. If the
No, Nina!
Give me
that!
hole is very small, the ear drum
usually heals and a child’s hearing
will return to normal. But if the ear drum is
badly damaged, it may not heal, and the child’s
hearing may be lost or reduced in that ear.
Slapping or punching a child on the side
of her head across her ear can burst her
ear drum and cause deafness.
Head injuries with skull fractures
can cause severe hearing loss. Bomb
explosions and other very loud noises
can burst the ear drums.
Prevention:
• Teach children not to put things in their ears.
• Never hit a child on the head, and work to reduce family violence.
War causes more and more
childhood disability
We must all work to
reduce the use of violence
and war to solve political
problems, and ban
weapons that kill, disable,
orphan, and make
homeless thousands of
children each year.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)