Childhood deafness

About one in a thousand newborns, at birth, presents a hearing problem.

What is it

Childhood deafness is classified on the basis of the time of onset in:

  • Prenatal
  • Perinatal
  • Post-natal

There is also a classification that takes language development as a reference, dividing them into preverbal and postverbal. Finally, congenital and acquired forms can be distinguished.

Epidemiology

One in 800-1000 newborns has severe deafness at birth. Minor forms, including mild to moderate, unilateral or bilateral hearing loss, are twice or triple.

In the following years, but always during childhood, another 2-3 out of 1000 children acquire a moderate to severe, progressive or permanent form of hearing loss.

Finally, many adolescents are at risk of sensorineural hearing loss from excessive exposure to noise and head trauma.

Causes

According to some studies, about 60-70% of cases of severe hearing loss are of genetic origin.

Do not underestimate the importance that some viruses can have, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes virus, or protozoa such as toxoplasma, and diseases transmitted by bacteria, such as syphilis.

If such pathogens are contracted by the mother during pregnancy they can cause deafness in the newborn.

Symptoms

Neonatal deafness is easily found, usually a parent notices that the baby does not jump when there is a loud and sudden sound and does not react to the sound of the voice.

Suspicion of deafness, especially in a newborn, should be detected immediately and a centre specialising in child audiology should be contacted.

Diagnosis

Newborn hearing screening is now carried out in many hospitals immediately after birth. It is based on otoemissions and allows a first important screening of hearing problems.

In case of suspected hearing loss, the newborn is sent to a specialized center of Child Audiology for a diagnostic assessment.

The diagnosis of a possible deafness, in subsequent periods, is performed with the tests described in the following table:

Diagnostic test Function
Behavioral audiometry Observe the motor reactions caused by acoustic stimulation
Otoemissions (sounds generated by the outer hair cells spontaneously and after acoustic stimulus) They are recorded with a microphone placed in the duct external auditory. In conditions of hearing loss, even mild ones, otoemissions disappear
Auditory evoked potentials or ABR (authority brainstem response) Analyze the function of cochlear and retrocochlear structures
Impedancemetry Analyzes the functionality of the ear, but is complicated to perform in the child

Aftermath

The integrity of auditory function is a necessary condition for normal language development, which begins in the first months of life and is completed in adolescence.

Therefore, childhood deafness requires early diagnosis in order to allow an adequate audiological and speech therapy rehabilitation intervention.

Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.

The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.

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