Development milestones have been adjusted
Also different in these recommendations are the developmental and speech milestones updated according to the most recent AAP information, Dr. Lieu said. Though the new milestones don’t change by much, they are important to note, she said, such as updated guidance on when to be concerned about speech delay.
She said she wished the guidance included more about hearing loss in older children.
The report authors stated that about 1 to 3 per 1,000 children have atypical hearing at birth and similar numbers become deaf or hard of hearing later in childhood.
But Dr. Lieu says that statistic may give the wrong impression about frequency of atypical hearing.
“Hearing loss increases during childhood,” she pointed out. “By the time they hit about age 18, about 15% of kids have some kind of hearing loss.”
“I don’t think it’s made clear to pediatricians that this is not 1 or 2 in a thousand children – this happens much more frequently,” she said.
The report authors and Dr. Lieu report no relevant financial relationships.