Why are BTE Hearing Aids Ideal for Children with Hearing Loss?

Are you looking for the best hearing aid for your child? Unlike adults, not every style is suitable for children depending on how old they are and how advanced their hearing loss is. From tiny, curious hands to maturing ear anatomy, it’s important to find a hearing aid that can grow with your child!

Hearing aid technology has drastically improved and evolved over the last few decades, and talking to your child’s audiologist can help to give you more insight into what hearing aids are available for your child.

The Best Hearing Aids for Children

The type and style of the best hearing aid for your child will depend on their hearing loss level and the type of hearing loss. No single style or manufacture is suitable for every single child, but there are numerous considerations to take into account when selecting the right device.

That being said, many audiologists will recommend behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids are the best option for most children for many different reasons.

Why Choose Hearing Aids?

While hearing aids make sounds louder and clearer, they won’t fully restore hearing. They allow your child to experience sounds and noises but won’t hear things the way people with full hearing do. The sooner a hearing loss is detected and treated means your child will be able to continue typical speech development.

Why are BTE Hearing Aids Best for Children?

Children can be born profoundly deaf, lose their hearing as they get older, or experience a traumatic event that affects their level of hearing. And as they are still growing, choosing a hearing aid can be tricky as you need it to fit well regardless of their age.

BTE hearing aids are the most flexible of designs, and for this reason, they are the best style of hearing aids for kids. Their flexibility means the device can be molded to fit any size ear, from babies to toddlers and through to teenagers. This style of hearing aid is made of two main parts, the small hard plastic case that sits behind the ear and houses all the electronics and the earmold that fits inside the outermost part of the ear.

They are connected by a soft plastic tube. The sound travels from inside the hearing aid through the plastic tube onto your child’s ear. As your child grows, they will need the earpiece to be detachable so it can be remolded to fit their ears for maximum benefits and less discomfort.

Another benefit of BTE hearing aids is that they are easy to clean, and the case is more durable than other styles. This means they are well placed to withstand childhood and handle all that comes with wearing hearing aids at a young age. Plus, with them being easy to clean, there will be less chance of damage from dirt and debris buildup.

Hearing aids are intricate devices that contain a lot of technology and parts designed to amplify sounds and transmit this to your child’s ear canal. The case on BTE models means the internal components are protected and secure, and the hearing aid is less likely to suffer damage. As your child ages or hits their teen years, they can choose different hearing aid styles. However, BTE hearing aids are often recommended for most children by audiologists.