Diseases 82
fifth
PRECAUTIONS
• If your child shows any signs of cystic fibrosis, a sweat test should be done. A sweat test is a painless, harmless, inexpensive, and generally reliable test for cystic fibrosis.
• If there is any history of cystic fibrosis in the family, a sweat test should be considered for all children, even if they appear to be healthy.
• The sweat test is not reliable before the age of one month and is not as reliable during adolescence.
MEDICAL TREATMENT
The doctor will perform a sweat test and may also order a chest x ray study. If cystic fibrosis is diagnosed, your doctor will most likely refer you to a medical center where there are specialists in treating cystic fibrosis.
The outlook for a child with cystic fibrosis who is in relatively good ftealth is better now than in the past, but a cure for cystic fibrosis is sun being sought. The earlier the diagnosis is made and treatment is started, the better the outcome.
Quick Reference
Deafness
SYMPTOMS
• Threemonthold infant ignores sounds or does not turn head toward sound.
• Oneyearold does not speak a few words or babble.
• Twoyearold does not speak twoword or threeword sentences.
• Fiveyearold does not speak so that strangers can understand.
• Child has learning problems in school.
• Child simply does not seem to hear well.
HOME CARE
• Home care depends on the cause and type of hearing loss See your doctor to determine cause and treatment
• If the child has an earache, call your doctor.
PRECAUTIONS
• Every child should be given a professional hearing test before starting kindergarten.
• A deaf child should start special training as soon as possible.
• Do not put any object (including cotton swabs) into your child's ear canal for any reason.
• Every woman of childbearing age should consult her doctor about rubella (German measles) immunization. Rubella in a pregnant woman can cause deafness in her unborn child.
Deafness is a partial or complete loss of the sense of hearing. A hearing loss may be slight or severe and may occur in one ear or in both ears. A child may be born with a hearing loss, or it may develop at any age.
Normal hearing involves the following chain of events: Sound waves pass down the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. Vibrations of the eardrum in turn move the three tiny bones in the middle ear. This motion of the bones transmits the vibrations across the middle ear to the inner ear. In the inner ear. the vibrations are changed to electrical impulses, which are carried to the brain through the eighth cranial nerve. The brain interprets these electrical impulses as sound.
If any of the structures involved in this process malfunctions or is damaged or diseased, deafness can result. The following problems may lead to hearing difficulties:
Ear canal problems that may cause hearing loss include a buildup of earwax, a foreign object in the canal, or swimmer's ear. infectiosum