http://www.smokymtnhearing.com/blog Hearing loss can be broken down into various categories such as sensorineural, conductive or mixed.

1. Causes of Loss of Hearing in Children
Hearing loss can be broken down into
various categories such as
sensorineural, conductive or mixed.
Sensorineural occurs when the inner
ear, cranial nerve, or the central
processing centers of the brain are
damaged. This type of hearing loss is
usually permanent and cannot be
corrected medically or surgically. Conductive refers to a problem
in the ear that interferes with sound, such as earwax buildup, and
can usually be surgically or medically corrected. Mixed is a
combination of sensorineural and conductive loss of hearing.
There are many different reasons why a child may suffer hearing
loss. Some of those are listed below.
Hearing loss can be genetic, meaning that it is passed from the
parents to the children. Some parents do not have hearing
problems, but carry a recessive gene. If that is the case, the
hearing loss generally occurs in one out of every four children.
Normally, there is no other deafness in the family, so the
presence of the recessive gene is not expected. In other cases,
one or both parents may carry a dominant gene and suffer some
type of hearing loss that has about a 50 percent chance of being
passed on to their children.
Smoky Mountain Hearing Specialists
www.SmokyMTNHearing.com
Morristown, TN (423) 200-4249 Cleveland, TN (423) 658-1728

2. X-linked hearing loss occurs when the mother carries a recessive
trait for hearing loss in the sex chromosome. In those cases, the
hearing loss will only be passed on to the sons.
Premature babies, especially those born before seven months
gestation, do not have a mature auditory system and can suffer
from sensorineural loss of hearing. Oxygen deprivation during
birth and a condition called jaundice may also cause hearing loss
within infants.
Infections in the mother prior to birth can cause hearing loss in
the child by damaging the inside of the ear. Such infections
include measles, syphilis, some forms of herpes and
toxoplasmosis. Maternal diabetes can also cause hearing
problems in children.
Infections during childhood can damage the inner ear and
resulting in hearing loss. Some of those include mumps, measles,
chicken pox and bacterial or viral meningitis.
Meningitis causes an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
covering. The hearing nerves become irreversibly affected
resulting in hearing loss. This is the most common after-effect of
meningitis. The hearing loss can range from mild to profound
deafness.
Smoky Mountain Hearing Specialists
www.SmokyMTNHearing.com
Morristown, TN (423) 200-4249 Cleveland, TN (423) 658-1728

3. In most cases, a hearing aid will help restore hearing to the
extent that the child can attend school and function normally. The
type of hearing aid will depend on the type and extent of the
hearing loss. Behind-the-ear devices are often recommended due
to their durability and to growth and safety issues of the child.
This type of hearing aid rests behind the ear and a plastic tube
runs from the device into the ear canal. Children’s hearing aids
are now made using advanced technology and include many new
practical features.
If it is suspected that a child is suffering from hearing loss,
parents should immediately have their child tested by an
audiologist so that the reason for the loss can be determined and
treatment options explored. It is important to discover the reason
for the hearing loss. In some cases, lack of treatment can result
in total deafness of the child.
Smoky Mountain Hearing Specialists
www.SmokyMTNHearing.com
Morristown, TN (423) 200-4249 Cleveland, TN (423) 658-1728