Child Hearing Loss Doctor in Dubai

Quick answer

Who treats hearing loss in children in Dubai, and when should your child be checked?

Dr. Muhammad Jabbr is a Consultant ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist who treats hearing loss in children. He sees children at Medcare Hospital Al Safa, Dubai. Ask for a hearing check if your baby does not react to loud sounds or your toddler is slow to talk. A common, often temporary cause is glue ear (fluid behind the eardrum). Seek prompt help if your child suddenly cannot hear or loses speech skills they used to have.

Babies learn to talk by listening. When a baby does not react to sounds, or a toddler is slow to speak, many parents start to wonder about hearing. Seeing a child hearing loss doctor in Dubai early helps you find the cause and make a plan while your child's speech is still growing.

Dr. Muhammad Jabbr treats children and adults at Medcare Hospital Al Safa, where he is a Consultant ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon. For a young child's hearing assessment, he is one of the best ENT surgeons in Dubai. This guide covers screening, warning signs, causes and treatment.

What If Your Baby Needs a Second Newborn Hearing Test?

Newborns usually have a quick, painless hearing screen soon after birth, often while asleep. Some get a "refer" result. This only means another test is needed. It is not a diagnosis. Debris in the ear canal, a noisy room or an unsettled baby can affect the result, and many babies pass the second time.

Aim for this timeline:

Repeat screen: ideally within the first month.
Full hearing assessment: by about 3 months, if the repeat screen is still not clear.
Support, such as hearing aids and early speech help: by about 6 months, if hearing loss is confirmed.

Starting early gives your baby a much better chance to develop speech and language. Babies born very early, those with a long stay in neonatal intensive care, or a family history of childhood deafness may need extra checks later, even after a pass.

What Are the Signs of Hearing Loss in a Child at Each Age?

Young children cannot tell you that sounds are faint. You usually notice it in how they react and how they talk.

Birth to 6 months

Does not startle at sudden loud noises.
Does not settle to your voice, or does not turn towards sounds by around 6 months.
Makes few cooing sounds, or the sounds fade instead of growing.

6 to 12 months

Does not turn to their name or to sounds out of sight.
Little babbling, such as "ba-ba" or "ma-ma".

1 to 3 years

Few or no clear words by 18 months, or no two-word phrases by age 2.
Follows simple requests only when they can see your face.
Wants the TV or tablet louder than everyone else does.

School age

Often says "what?" or mixes up instructions.
Struggles in a noisy classroom, seems not to listen, or is very tired after school.

If something seems off, ask for a hearing check. No child is too young to be tested.

Is It Glue Ear or Permanent Hearing Loss?

Glue ear: common and often temporary

In glue ear, fluid collects behind the eardrum. Sound cannot pass through the middle ear well, so hearing becomes muffled. Doctors call this conductive hearing loss. It is very common in young children, often after colds. Large adenoids may play a part, and it tends to last longer in children with a cleft palate or Down syndrome. The fluid often drains away on its own over a few months. Read more about glue ear and ear infections in children.

Sensorineural: usually permanent hearing loss

This type comes from the inner ear (the cochlea) or the hearing nerve. It may be present at birth or appear later. Possible causes include:

Family history or genetic conditions.
Infections during pregnancy, such as CMV or rubella.
Being born very early, low birth weight or a long stay in neonatal intensive care.
Severe newborn jaundice or lack of oxygen at birth.
Meningitis or some other serious infections in childhood.
Some strong medicines given in hospital, such as certain antibiotics.

Other causes and mixed loss

Hard earwax, a small object in the ear or an ear canal that did not form fully can also reduce hearing. Some children have glue ear and a permanent loss together. Hearing that comes and goes with colds hints at glue ear, yet testing is the only way to be sure.

How Is Hearing Tested in Babies and Young Children?

Babies: objective tests that measure the ear's or brain's response to sound while the baby sleeps.
From about 6 months: the child turns towards a sound and is rewarded with a light-up toy or picture.
From about 2 to 3 years: play tests, where the child puts a peg in a board each time they hear a sound.
Older children: headphones and pressing a button or raising a hand.

A quick pressure test of the eardrum can show fluid. The ENT examination looks at the ears and, when needed, the nose and adenoids. If a permanent loss is found, a CMV test in young babies, genetic tests or an inner-ear scan may help find the cause. Our hearing test page explains each test.

Can Hearing Loss Cause Speech Delay in a Child?

Yes, it can. Even a mild or one-sided loss can make soft speech sounds, such as "s", "f" and "th", hard to catch. Your child may then say words unclearly, miss word endings or start talking late.

A child who cannot follow speech may also seem stubborn, shy or distracted, which is easy to mistake for a behaviour problem. Many children catch up well once hearing improves and they get support. Any child who is late to talk should have a hearing test. Read about speech delay and hearing loss.

What Treatment Can Help, From Grommets to Hearing Aids?

The plan depends on the type and level of hearing loss, whether one or both ears are affected, and how your child is coping.

If the cause is glue ear

Active monitoring: a hearing recheck after about three months. Medicines do not usually clear the fluid.
Grommets: if fluid stays in both ears and hearing stays reduced, or speech and learning suffer, tiny ventilation tubes may be placed in the eardrums under a short general anaesthetic. Hearing often improves soon after. See grommets (ear tubes) for children.
Adenoid removal: sometimes added, mainly when a child also has enlarged adenoids with a blocked nose, or glue ear keeps returning.
Hearing aids: an option when surgery is not suitable or not wanted.

If the loss is permanent

Hearing aids: fitted by an audiologist, even for young babies. They make sounds louder but do not restore normal hearing.
Bone-conduction devices: may help a child whose ear canal is very narrow or did not form.
Cochlear implant assessment: for severe or profound loss when hearing aids give too little benefit.
Early support and reviews: speech and language therapy, help for parents, and regular hearing checks, as some losses change over time.

How Can a Child Hearing Loss Doctor in Dubai Help Your Family?

Your child's ENT doctor looks for the reason, fixes what can be fixed and connects you with long-term help. Dr. Muhammad Jabbr offers:

More than 20 years in ENT practice and over 3,000 ENT procedures.
Postgraduate degrees and board certifications: MD, MS, DOHNS (England), European Board ORL-HNS and Arab Board ORL-HNS.
Grommets and adenoid surgery for children, only when truly needed.
Referral to audiology, speech therapy or an implant team when required.

Families have given him a 4.9 Google rating across 406 reviews. You can read more about his ENT care for children.

Which Hearing Signs in a Child Need Urgent Care?

Seek prompt medical help if your child:

Suddenly cannot hear in one or both ears. Sudden hearing loss is urgent.
Has had meningitis. A hearing test is needed soon after recovery.
Has ear pain with high fever, or redness and swelling behind the ear.
Has a change in hearing after a head injury, or with dizziness or weakness of the face.
Loses words or speech skills they used to have.

Book an Appointment

An early check can bring clear answers. You can book a visit with Dr. Muhammad Jabbr online or call +971 52 751 7811. You will find him at Medcare Hospital, Hadiqa Street, Al Safa 1, in the ENT Department.

Frequently Asked Questions

My child passed the newborn screen. Can they still have hearing loss?

Yes, it is possible. Some hearing loss develops later, and glue ear is common in toddlers. If you notice signs, ask for a hearing check.

Can glue ear damage my child's hearing for good?

Usually not. Hearing generally returns once the fluid clears. Glue ear that lasts a long time or keeps coming back can sometimes change the eardrum, so regular checks until it settles are wise.

How can I help my child hear better while glue ear clears?

Get your child's attention before you speak and face them. Speak clearly at a normal level, and turn off the TV or music in the background. Tell the nursery or school so your child can sit near the teacher.

Does hearing loss in just one ear affect a child?

It can. Children with one-sided loss may struggle to hear in noisy places or to tell where a sound comes from. They benefit from regular checks and classroom support.

How young can a child wear hearing aids?

Hearing aids can be fitted in the first months of life. Early fitting helps the brain get used to sound during the key years for speech.

Helping Your Child Hear the World

Many childhood hearing problems can be treated or managed well when found early. Glue ear often clears or improves with grommets. Permanent loss can be supported with hearing aids, therapy and, for some, an implant. If your child's hearing or speech concerns you, an assessment with Dr. Muhammad Jabbr is a sensible next step.