Ask Anna: How do I keep my baby’s hearing aids in?

Ask Anna is a weekly advice column for the hearing loss community. 

Dear Anna: My 8-month-old has hearing aids, but it’s difficult to keep them in her ears! She’s always grabbing them and pulling them out. I don’t want her to lose her expensive hearing aids, but even more, I want to make sure she’s wearing them so her speech and hearing can develop. Do you have any tips on keeping her hearing aids in? – Patient Mom in Colorado  

Dear Mom,

This is quite a task as young children are experts at removing their hearing aids. It can be such a great game to play! Speak to your pediatric audiologist as there are retention systems that help keep little hearing aids on little ears. There are also clips that attach to the hearing aids so if she does pull them out they dangle behind her back instead of getting lost forever.

You can also ask the  audiologist to check that the ear piece is fitting OK and not making her ears feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately, until a child is old enough  to tell us what is wrong it is a little bit of trial and error, so all you can do is keep putting them back into her ears every time she takes them out.

We’ve also seen some parent’s come up with ideas such as hearing aid headbands and caps to keep hearing aids on little ears. You can see some examples on Pinterest. 

Do you have a question for Anna? Email: feedback@hearinglikeme.com

The information provided through this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Hearing Like Me website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately.

• Author Details

Author Details

Anna Biggins

Anna is currently the Senior Audiology Manager at Phonak. She has worked in the field of audiology and hearing aids for 25 years, and is passionate about all things audiology.