The earlier you discover your hearing issue the better for you or the parents with little babies. Children born with ear defect are not too easy for parents to discover. This is why doctors recommend hearing test for all children at the earlier age. This help them get necessary treatment at early age. 

Let me share my personal experience here. When I had an encounter with the loud speaker that led to my hearing loss, I was so ignorant of the fact that it was an emergency situation. The very day it happened I was to go straight to an ENT doctor for proper guide and treatment but I did not know. 

I heard the loud sound and a sharp pain in my ears, and for days I was still hearing the sound of the music replaying in my ears (imaginarily) till it faded off. Now this is t; if I had gone straight for checkup, prevention from total deafness will have been done. But I ignore it till two years after for my first checkup. 

Going for early checkup keeps you away from danger and total loss. According to my audiologist, the longer you stay in total deafness the more dangerous for a solution, reason is because the brain can not be left dormant for too long. After my Cochlear implant it was easy for my brain to be reactivated and relearn words faster cos I have only being deaf for the space of five years. 

For someone that has being deaf for years like 20years and above, if you were not born deaf then the brain can recognize words but being born deaf and 20 years after your want to go for implant and reactivate your brain it might be a useless attempt cause for a brain that has never picked any word what will it recognize? 

Medical issues that lead to deafness or ear loss need to be treated early enough. Total deafness can be prevented if discover early enough. 

You can read up below on medical issues that can cause deafness or hearing loss. 

https://www.health24.com/Medical/Hearing-management/Ear-disorders/7-diseases-that-can-cause-hearing-loss-20171213-2 

Thank you.