The first signs of infant deafness are mostly characterized by a lack of head turning and wriggling in response to calling out to the infant. Since infants are too young to express themselves verbally, they may be less sensitive to small sounds if their hearing is mildly impaired. If the infant’s hearing is severely impaired, he or she may be less sensitive to louder sounds. Infants will not turn their heads, twist, look for the direction of the sound, or react when attracted to a louder sound or called out, or will not react to being startled when hearing a loud noise. If the infant is suspected of having deafness, the infant should be taken to the hospital promptly.