Because of their hearing impairments, deaf parents need special techniques and devices to help them know when their babies cry.
In this article, I’ll show you the various ways deaf parents hear their babies cry.
In reality, they don’t hear them cry. They only get to know when they do.
In addition to the techniques, I’ll also explain the various reasons why babies cry.
Table of Contents
Why Babies Cry
Pediatricians generally group babies’ cries into 3 different categories. They include hunger cry, sleep cry, and colic cry.
There are, however, up to 11 reasons why babies cry.
Let’s take a look at some of them.
Related: Advantages and Disadvantages of Being Deaf
Hunger
Babies cry when they are hungry. They go from short low-pitched repetitive rhyme to screaming pretty hard when they’re hungry.
Experts say hunger cry comes with a “neh sound”. That is, babies use their tongues to hit the roof of their mouths searching for milk.
Sleep
Sleep is a learned skill for babies, unlike how it comes naturally to an adult when they get on their bed.
It will take a while for babies to establish a sleeping routine. So, crying when they want to sleep is inevitable.
Dirty diapers
They become uncomfortable in a wet or dirty diaper and cry to indicate that they want a diaper change.
Teething
Teething starts as early as 4 months and comes with its discomforts. When the pains set in, these little ones tend to cry to let the pain out.
Illness
Just like adults, babies also become miserable when they fall sick. You will find babies crying more than usual when they get sick.
Tummy Troubles
Baby gas is another reason babies cry for help. You can easily identify this type of cry as it comes with babies wriggling and arching their backs.
General Discomfort
Expect your baby to cry when there’s an eyelash stuck in their eyes or clothing rubs against their skin. And expect this cry to last until the discomforts are no longer there.
Related: How a Blind Person Communicates with a Deaf Person
How Do Deaf Parents Hear Their Baby Cry?
By now, you know some of the reasons why babies cry for help or attention.
The point is that all babies cry regardless of whether a deaf parent birthed them or not. But the question remains how deaf parents hear their baby cry.
Check out the various ways deaf parents know when their babies cry.
Baby Monitors
Babies tend to tense up and splay their legs and arms straight out when they cry.
They wear a crying face that is impossible to miss.
Thanks to baby monitors, deaf parents can see these signs on the baby monitor connected to the room. This indicates to them that their baby is crying and needs their attention.
The device uses visual or tactile alert signals to inform the deaf parent of noise in the baby’s room.
Baby monitors come in varying sizes and types. You will find them in hospitals, your local shops, and online.
But here’s the rub.
They have their setbacks and technical issues like the battery going off in the middle of the night. So, deaf parents should combine two or more techniques to know when their baby cries.
Hand Strings
Some deaf parents tie a string to their babies’ hands to help them know when they cry.
Here’s how it works.
When babies cry, they violently jerk the strings in their hand, alerting their deaf parents of the situation.
This method may not be reliable, especially for babies who are not very active. And as earlier mentioned, deaf parents must use combined options for higher efficiency.
Sound Activated Lamp
This device picks up sounds in the babies’ room and flickers or goes off to alert the deaf parents of their crying babies.
Microphones are wired and placed in the baby’s room to send sound to the sound-activated lamp.
This technique is efficient and reliable as deaf parents can easily see the flicking lights from the lamp.
Related: 4 Mind-Blowing Ways a Deaf Person Calls the Police
Cordless Signaling System
This is a flash lighting signal that works similarly to a visual doorbell or an alarm clock.
It picks up noise in the infant’s room and alerts the deaf parent using LED Lights.
Oftentimes, this cordless signaling system is specially marketed to the deaf community and has all the needed features to make life easier for them.
Vibrating Receivers
Vibrating receivers are usually linked to units that detect a cry from a baby and are placed under the deaf parent’s bed or pillow.
Deaf parents can also put the vibrating receivers in their purses or pockets.
The device gives off a powerful vibration when sounds are detected from the baby’s room. The best part about this device is that it is portable and reliable.
It also works for smoke alarms, telephones, and doorbells.
Service Dogs
Service dogs are trained to alert deaf parents just like guide dogs are trained for blind people. Keep in mind that dogs are smart and dependable.
ChatterBaby
There’s a new app by Dr. Ariana Anderson called ChatterBaby. It helps deaf people hear when their babies cry.
ChatterBaby uses artificial intelligence to alert deaf parents of their crying babies. It can also help them to know why their babies are crying.
Amazing, right?
The app also helps babies bond faster with their parents. It is free to download on the Google play store and ChatterBaby’s official website.
Most deaf parents have testified to the communication benefits of this app.
