For hearing loss in children, it’s critical to recognize hearing loss
symptoms so that your child can get the care they need. In this video,
I’ll also cover causes of hearing loss and hearing loss types. Coming up!
Hi, I’m Dr Derek audiologist, audio engineer and musician with Pro Fit Hearing.com
bringing you the best insight into today’s latest hearing aids, headphones,
and audio technology to improve your life. If you have concerns about your hearing,
always consult with your local physician or audiologist.
Today, I’m talking about hearing loss in children, causes and types. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a 2017 survey, 1.7 out of 1000 babies screened for
hearing loss in the United States were identified with hearing loss. Newborn hearing screening is
completed before a baby leaves the hospital. If a baby fails their newborn hearing screening, the
testing is repeated and then further evaluation can be completed by a pediatric audiologist.
It’s important to identify whether a child has hearing loss as soon as possible
so that your pediatrician can recommend an appropriate treatment plan. Impaired hearing
can significantly impact speech and language development and overall communication. Your
pediatric audiologist can make recommendations on whether to proceed with hearing aids or
possibly cochlear implants. Note, however, that parents of children who are born Deaf
may choose to not treat hearing loss and instead pursue sign language for communication.
Ultimately, it's the parent’s decision on whether or not to treat hearing loss.
So, what are some signs of possible hearing loss in babies?
The baby responds to loud sounds but not others. The baby doesn’t startle to loud sounds.
The baby doesn’t respond when their name is called.
The baby doesn’t localize to sounds in their environment by 6 months of age.
The baby doesn’t use single words like dada or mama by 1 year of age.
What are some signs of possible hearing loss in older children?
The child has unclear speech.
The child listens to the TV at a loud volume. The child has difficulty following directions.
The child has speech and language development delays.
The child has difficulty understanding speech in noisy situations.
If your child demonstrates some of these possible hearing loss symptoms, please consult with
your pediatrician for guidance. A pediatric audiologist can evaluate your child’s hearing.
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So, what causes hearing loss? Hearing loss in children may be congenital or acquired.
Congenital means they were born with it, and acquired means the hearing loss onset
occurred sometime after birth. Acquired hearing loss may occur
before learning to speak (pre-lingual) or after learning to speak (post-lingual).
Congenital hearing loss is genetic in 50-60% of cases and can be dominant, recessive, or x-linked
(meaning from genes found on the X chromosome). Genetic testing can determine if a hearing loss is
the result of a genetic abnormality. Genetic hearing loss may be non-syndromic (meaning no
other symptoms) or syndromic (meaning there's a presence of hearing loss with other symptoms).
Some examples of syndromes with hearing loss, or syndromic genetic hearing loss include:
Down syndrome Usher syndrome
Wardenburg syndrome Treacher Collins syndrome
Alport Syndrome Pendred syndrome, and others.
An example of non-syndromic genetic hearing loss is a Connexin 26 protein mutation on the
GJB2 gene. Connexin 26 is important in the cochlea’s development and function.
The cochlea is the part of the inner ear that contains the hearing sensory
cells called hair cells. Any abnormality to the inner ear can cause hearing loss.
Congenital hearing loss may also be caused by various medical conditions
which can include the following: prenatal infection, illness, or toxins from mom
rubella, herpes simplex, cytomegalovirus anoxia - meaning baby doesn’t have enough oxygen
maternal diabetes premature birth
pre-eclampsia
Please consult with your doctor and complete all recommended check-ups during your pregnancy.
Acquired hearing loss may be the result of the following
Otitis media or ear infection noise exposure
head injury ototoxic medication,
meaning toxic to the inner ear chicken pox, meningitis, measles,
mumps, influenza, encephalitis jaundice
Ok, now that I’ve covered symptoms and causes of hearing loss, let’s discuss the
different types of hearing loss. There's three types of peripheral hearing loss,
meaning occurring within the ear. These types include: conductive, sensorineural, and mixed.
Conductive hearing loss can occur in the external and/or middle ear. This just means that there is
something abnormal with how sound travels into the ear canal and through the middle ear.
Some of the most common causes of conductive hearing loss include the following:
earwax build-up (also known as cerumen build-up), fluid in the middle ear due to an ear infection,
abnormal function of the ear bones (where they can not vibrate normally),
or an eardrum perforation (hole in the eardrum). There may also be congenital causes of conductive
hearing loss. This can include microtia (which is an underdeveloped external ear)
and atresia (which is a narrow ear canal or absence of an ear canal).
Conductive hearing loss may be improved or reversed with a variety of medical or surgical
options if determined to be appropriate by an Ear Nose and Throat physician (or ENT doctor).
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs in the inner ear and is permanent. It's caused by damage
to the hair cells inside the cochlea or by damage to the auditory nerve. Sensorineural
hearing loss may be a result of a genetic abnormality, ototoxic medication, noise exposure,
an auditory nerve tumor, illness or disease affecting the inner ear, or head trauma.
Hearing loss can also be mixed.
This is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
In addition to the types of peripheral hearing loss I've discussed so far, hearing loss can also
be central, meaning it's caused by a lesion in the central auditory pathway or cortex. The inner ear
sends signals to our brain in response to sound, and the brain’s auditory processing center makes
sense of all the sounds in our environment so that we can communicate effectively.
If you are looking for more information and resources on hearing loss in children,
please refer to the link in the description below from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC. A Parent’s Guide to Hearing Loss.
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