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        • 1 - Before ONE Month of Age: Hearing Screening
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3 - Before THREE Months of Age: Hearing Evaluation

Diagnosing Infant Hearing Loss

Medical Evaluation - It is recommended that a medical evaluation is done to identify any possible medical conditions that may be interfering with the hearing screening results. The medical evaluation may include a medical history, physical examination, laboratory testing or consultation with other doctors.

Newborn Hearing Loss Risk Factors and Causes

Genetic - 50% of all infant hearing loss cases may be attributed to genetics

• Family history of permanent childhood hearing loss
• Syndromes commonly associated with hearing loss (account for 1/3 of genetic cases)
  • Down
  • Usher
  • Wardenburg
  • Neurofibromatosis

Environmental

• Exposure to an infection in-utero
  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) - a virus from the same family as herpes. There is no immunization against CMV. It is spread in the air and in droplet form.
  • Toxoplasmosis - an infection found in people, cats, birds, and other animals. Most people with toxoplasmosis have no symptoms. To prevent exposure, pregnant women should avoid cat litter or dirt and eating uncooked meat.
  • Group B Strep (GBS)
  • Syphilis
  • Rubella (German Measles)
  • Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
• NICU stay

Physiological

• Hyperbilirubinemia needing a blood transfusion
• Exposure to certain medications used in high doses
  • Gentamicin

Physical

• Low birth weight - less than 1,500 grams
• Head, face, and ear anomalies

Delayed-onset hearing loss is when a child passes their newborn hearing screening as an infant but develops hearing loss by the age of 3. Delayed-onset hearing loss can happen at any time to a child who was born with a risk factor like those listed above.