Dr. Heather Haversat, AuD is a pediatric audiologist who has been treating kids with hearing conditions at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital since 2014. She says she absolutely loves her job and the Fairfield County community. “I am fortunate to live in the community where I work, getting to connect with other families in the area. Many of my patient families have become friends and many of my friends’ children have become patients,” Dr. Haversat explains.
The Local Moms Network asked Dr. Haversat to share a bit more about her practice, red flags for common hearing issues, and more.
What are the most common conditions you treat – and what are the symptoms for each that should urge parents to get their child checked?
If you live in Fairfield County and your newborn does not pass their hearing screening at birth, they will likely be seen by me in our Pediatric Specialty Center office in Trumbull! I diagnose and treat hearing impairment in all children, but I have a particular passion for working with the youngest age group.
Most of the children I see at the Pediatric Specialty Center were born with hearing loss, though many children are found to have their hearing change later (called late onset hearing loss). Hearing screenings in school help discover those kids.
In addition to seeing permanent hearing loss patients, our day is filled with children who may have temporary hearing loss due to ear infections or toddlers who have a speech delay and need an evaluation to rule out hearing concerns.
Love that you have an office in Trumbull. What are the biggest signs your child is having trouble hearing – as a newborn and then later?
Parents should read the CDC Learn the Signs Act Early website. It’s an easy way (they also have a tracker app!) to monitor a child’s social/emotional, language communication, and cognitive milestones. It encourages parents to talk to their pediatrician and act early if their child isn’t meeting a milestone. I found it to be a great resource with my own children and we share them with our patients.
Great tip! What should parents know about a hearing test for kids versus adults?
Testing a child’s hearing can be really fun and really challenging! There are many tests and techniques we use to obtain reliable results on children regardless of age; sometimes it just takes extra time.
As pediatric providers, the audiology team has additional tricks up our sleeve to put a child at ease for testing to be successful. Sometimes it requires an extra visit to make a child feel more comfortable. Parents know their children best and it’s always helpful when parents share with us how their child typically does at the pediatrician’s office or in new environments.
When should you see a specialist for chronic ear infections?
If a child has recurring ear infections or fluid that won’t clear, parents should talk to their pediatrician about a referral to a pediatric Ear Nose & Throat (ENT) specialist and audiologist.
ENTs manage the medical side of ear infections, but a hearing evaluation is an important part of the process. Often the hearing test informs a treatment plan – if hearing is affected due to persistent fluid, then tubes in the ears may be recommended.
Having a child with potential hearing issues and possibly needing a hearing aid can be very overwhelming – what do you tell parents that are going through the process?
It sure is! Over 90% of children born hard of hearing have normal hearing parents. Connecting with other families who have “walked in your shoes” so to speak, is critical! It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes an even bigger village to raise a child with extra needs. Part of my job is to help families build a strong early intervention support team from the beginning.
For parents going through the process, we take it one step at a time. Hitting a milestone looks different for every child, so we celebrate the inch stones in between. Kids are capable, strong and resilient! It’s the parents that sometimes need support in recognizing just how amazing their child will be, despite their hearing differences.
As for advances in technology, hearing devices are constantly evolving, including getting smaller and smarter. Today’s hearing devices have apps for parents of young children that help them understand how often their child is wearing their devices, when the batteries are getting low or where it got lost on the playground. For the teens, it’s a direct source for streaming music while helping them hear better too!
Love that. Speaking of tweens and teens, what’s the best way to protect our kids’ ears from damage?
Turn the music down! If an adult considers the music too loud, it’s probably too loud. Our phones/watches can now tell us if the volume is at an unsafe listening level and that’s a great tool. For concerts or other louds events for an extended period, I recommend hearing protection!
Dr. Heather Haversat sees patients at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Specialty Center in Trumbull. To make an appointment or find a pediatric specialist, please call 877-YALE-MDS (877-925-3637), or visit ynhch.org/make-an-appointment.