Infant Hearing Loss
Author: mzPOTTER
What is hearing loss?
Hearing is one of the five senses, and when called reduced hearing loss, deafness or hearing loss. The ear is divided into three parts. The sound is transmitted through the outer and middle ear to the inner ear, which in turn has two parts:
- Cochlea, the organ of hearing
- Labyrinth: the organ of balance
A blockage or damage to any part of the ear causes lose some or all ability to hear sounds.What causes hearing loss in children?
Temporary loss
In childhood hearing loss is usually temporary, sometimes appear after colds or due to an accumulation of fluid behind the eardrum (chronic non-suppurative otitis media, or otitis media with effusion). It is estimated that 90% of children will at some point this picture, with or without hearing loss. Children have a different anatomy of adults, making them more likely to develop chronic non-suppurative otitis media after a cold, and are less able to get rid of it. However, the chronic non-suppurative otitis media usually resolves spontaneously and is relatively rare after age 10.
Permanent loss
Some children have permanent hearing loss by damage to the outer ear, middle or inner ear or nerve. One out of every 1,000 children born with permanent hearing loss. Sometimes appears after diseases such as meningitis or developing a state that produces progressive hearing loss. The cause of permanent hearing loss varies depending on whether the damage occurs at birth or later.
From birth, some children are born with permanent hearing loss may be due to various prenatal causes (such as infection during pregnancy, Down syndrome or genetic defect), or problems during birth (lack of oxygen), or being born prematurely.
After birth, some children may develop deafness after meningitis, an infection by a virus, a head injury or certain medications. Some children may have a genetic defect present at birth but the hearing loss appears later.