Understanding Congenital Hearing Loss

Congenital Hearing Loss

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), about “2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears.” If a child is born with hearing loss, the condition is called congenital hearing loss.

Congenital hearing loss differs from acquired hearing loss, which occurs any time after birth. Otitis media (ear infections) is a common cause of acquired hearing loss in children, as well as infections such as meningitis or measures. Exposure to loud noises or head injury may also lead to hearing loss in children.

Causes of Congenital Hearing Loss

Congenital hearing loss may be caused by genetics, infection during pregnancy, or premature birth, among other health conditions. Approximately 50% of hearing loss cases in children are caused by genetic factors. Genetic factors include autosomal recessive hearing loss (in which neither parent has hearing loss but they both carry recessive genes), autosomal dominant hearing loss (in which one or both parent carries a dominant hearing loss gene), or genetic syndromes such as Usher, Down, Treacher Collins, and Waardenburg syndromes.

As reported by Hearing Health, the following are non-genetic factors that could cause congenital hearing loss:

• Birth complications, including the presence of herpes, rubella cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis or another serious infection, lack of oxygen or the requirement of a blood transfusion for some reason.
• Premature birth. Babies that have a birth weight of less than 3 pounds or that require certain life-sustaining drugs for respiration due to prematurity are at risk for hearing loss.
• A nervous system or brain disorder.
• The use of ototoxic medication by the mother during pregnancy. Ototoxic medications are not usually illicit substances – medications like various antibiotics and NSAIDS can potentially cause damage to the auditory nerve or other hearing structures of the fetus.
• The mother had an infection during pregnancy, including things like toxoplasmosis, cytomegolavirus, herpes simplex or German measles.
• Maternal diabetes.
• Drug or alcohol abuse by the mother or smoking during pregnancy.

Newborns in the US receive hearing screenings before being discharged from the hospital. Otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response screenings are simple and painless procedures in which sounds are played and brain activity is recorded.

How Hearing Loss Affects Childhood Development

In children, untreated hearing loss may cause delay in the development of receptive and expressive communication skills (speech and language). The effects of language deficiency lead to learning problems and reduced academic achievement. Additionally, difficulty with communication may adversely affect a child’s social development, leading to isolation and poor self-concept. In the long term, untreated hearing loss in a child may hinder their future vocational choices.

Depending on the age of your child, there are different signs that may indicate pediatric hearing loss. The American Speech Language Hearing Association has provided these communication benchmarks for childhood development: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart/

Treating Pediatric Hearing Loss with Hearing Aids

It may be that children who pass infant screenings later develop hearing loss as they grow older. For this reason, it is important to track your child’s development with language and communication. An annual hearing test also helps to monitor your child’s hearing abilities. If you are concerned that your child may be experiencing a hearing loss, it is important to schedule a hearing test at the first signs.

At Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services, we provide comprehensive hearing health care for children. There are many effective treatments for pediatric hearing loss. By identifying and treating hearing loss early on, your child will have an easier time with language and speech development. Working with our team at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services ensures that your child will have the proper audiological tools as they grow.

If a hearing loss is detected, we will identify the configuration and degree. With this information, we will find a customized hearing solution to support your child’s hearing health. The most common treatment for hearing loss is the prescription of hearing aids. There are many pediatric hearing aids available on the market that are fully customizable and will grow along with your child.

If you believe your child is experiencing a hearing loss, contact us at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services today.