Why is Hearing Protection for Babies So Important? You may be wondering why you need to be concerned about your child’s hearing. If you’re taking her for regular checkups and she’s responding readily to hearing her name being called and other low– to mid-level sounds, the likelihood is that she’s developing normally. However, about 15% of people in the U.S. age 18 and over report that they have difficulty hearing in one or both ears. In fact, over the course of his or her lifetime, an American adult has a 16% chance of being diagnosed with some degree of hearing disability. Most concerning of all, by the time hearing loss is detected, it’s possible that the issue has been developing for years, experts say. That means hearing loss may begin in childhood, when you think your child’s hearing is just fine. The National Institutes of Health reported a slightly higher percentage of hearing loss in 2017 v. 2016, which is also concerning. The reason for the increase could be due to a...