Hearing loss is not being able to hear sound in one or both ears. Infants may lose all of their hearing or just part of it.
Deafness - infants; Hearing impairment - infants; Conductive hearing loss - infants; Sensorineural hearing loss - infants; Central hearing loss - infants
Although it is not common, some infants may have some hearing loss at birth. Hearing loss can also develop in children who had normal hearing as infants.
Risk factors for infant hearing loss include:
Hearing loss may occur when there is a problem in the outer or middle ear. These problems may slow or prevent sound waves from passing through. They include:
Another type of hearing loss is due to a problem with the inner ear. It may occur when the tiny hair cells (nerve endings) that move sound through the ear are damaged. This type of hearing loss can be caused by:
Central hearing loss results from damage to the auditory nerve itself, or the brain pathways that lead to the nerve. Central hearing loss is rare in infants and children.
Signs of hearing loss in infants vary by age. For example:
Some children may not be diagnosed with hearing loss until they are in school. This is true even if they were born with hearing loss. Inattention and falling behind in class work may be signs of undiagnosed hearing loss.
Over 30 states in the United States require newborn hearing screenings. Treating hearing loss early can allow many infants to develop normal language skills without delay. In infants born with hearing loss, treatments should start as early as age 6 months.
Treatment depends on the baby's overall health and the cause of hearing loss. Treatment may include:
Treating the cause of hearing loss may include:
Matthew Bush is an Otolaryngologist in Lexington, Kentucky. Bush has been practicing medicine for over 20 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Infant Hearing Loss. He is also highly rated in 11 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Infant Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss, Schwannoma, Acoustic Neuroma, and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery. He is licensed to treat patients in Ohio and Kentucky. Bush is currently accepting new patients.
Margaret Kenna is an Otolaryngologist in Peabody, Massachusetts. Kenna has been practicing medicine for over 44 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Infant Hearing Loss. She is also highly rated in 5 other conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Hearing Loss, Infant Hearing Loss, Familial Deafness, and Lymphadenitis. She is licensed to treat patients in Massachusetts. Kenna is currently accepting new patients.
Elizabeth Fitzpatrick practices in Ottawa, Canada. Fitzpatrick is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Infant Hearing Loss. She is also highly rated in 2 other conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Infant Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss, HIV/AIDS, and Auditory Processing Disorder.
It is often possible to treat hearing loss that is caused by problems in the middle ear with medicines or surgery. There is no cure for hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or nerves.
How well the baby does depends on the cause and severity of the hearing loss. Advances in hearing aids and other devices, as well as speech therapy allow many children to develop normal language skills at the same age as their peers with normal hearing. Even infants with profound hearing loss can do well with the right combination of treatments.
If the baby has a disorder that affects more than hearing, the outlook depends on what other symptoms and problems the baby has.
Contact your provider if your baby or young child displays signs of hearing loss, such as not reacting to loud noises, not making or mimicking noises, or not speaking at the expected age.
If your child has a cochlear implant, contact your provider right away if your child develops a fever, stiff neck, headache, or an ear infection.
It is not possible to prevent all cases of hearing loss in infants.
Women who are planning to become pregnant should make sure they are current on all vaccinations.
Pregnant women should check with their provider before taking any medicines. If you are pregnant, avoid activities that can expose your baby to dangerous infections, such as toxoplasmosis.
If you or your partner has a family history of hearing loss, you may want to get genetic counseling before becoming pregnant.
Summary: The overall goal of this project funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness is to characterize the natural history of disease progression in patients with USH2A related retinal degeneration associated with congenital hearing loss (Usher syndrome type 2a) or non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP39).
Summary: Among risk factors of neurodevelopmental disorder is congenital hearing loss. However, congenital deafness is neither necessary nor sufficient for the occurrence of warning signs of neurodevelopmental disorder. The investigative team hypothesizes that the co-occurrence of these two clinical entities results from a common origin, within a syndromic diagnosis including other medical issues. These si...
Published Date: February 24, 2022
Published By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Eggermont JJ. Early diagnosis and prevention of hearing loss. In: Eggermont JJ, ed. Hearing Loss. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 8.
Haddad J, Dodhia SN, Spitzer JB. Hearing loss. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 655.
Vohr B. Hearing loss in the newborn infant. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 59.