At University Children’s Health, we treat all types of hearing loss. Hearing loss occurs when there is a problem in your child’s ears, the nerves in their ears, or the way their brain processes sound. Hearing loss is a common birth defect, but it can affect your child’s development.
We will run tests to determine which type of hearing loss your child has, and then start on a treatment plan.
Pediatric Hearing & Balance Conditions We Treat
- Failed newborn hearing screen
- Recurrent ear infections
- Chronic middle ear fluid
- Ear drainage
- Eustachian tube dysfunction
- Conductive hearing loss
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Mixed hearing loss
- Tympanic membrane perforation
Types of Hearing Loss in Children
Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss happens when sound waves are not delivered to the inner ear from the outer and middle ear, as they should be. This hearing loss typically develops after a child is born and is the most common hearing loss.
Causes of conductive hearing loss include:
- Congenital problems with the outer ear, eardrum or ear canal
- An object getting stuck in the child’s ear
- Tumors in the middle ear
- Ear infections
- Ruptured eardrum
- Eustachian tube problems
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss happens when the inner ear does not communicate with the brain as well as it should. This type of hearing loss can be present at birth (congenital) or develop after birth.
Causes of congenital sensorineural hearing loss include:
- The mother has diabetes
- The mother has an infection like rubella, herpes or syphilis
- Genetic factors, or it can be hereditary
Causes of sensorineural hearing loss developed after birth include:
- Exposure to loud noises
- Infection
- Damage or injury to the ear
- Being born premature or at a low birth weight
Mixed Hearing Loss
Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural. The outer, middle, inner ear or auditory nerve is damaged.