Causes of Pediatric Sensorineural Hearing Loss
The causes of pediatric sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) can be categorized as either genetic or non-genetic.
Genetic Sensorineural Hearing Loss:
If one or both parents have a family history of deafness genes, the child may potentially have hearing problems.
2. Newborns with "Trisomy" (e.g., Down Syndrome) may have associated hearing issues. Some genetic syndromes involving multiple congenital anomalies can also affect the auditory organ.
Non-Genetic Sensorineural Hearing Loss
This category can be further divided into congenital and acquired causes.
1.Congenital SNHL primarily refers to hearing damage occurring during pregnancy and childbirth.
During Pregnancy: Infections contracted by the mother during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, can lead to intrauterine infection and cause irreversible SNHL in the fetus. These pathogens include rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, herpes virus, Treponema pallidum (syphilis), and Haemophilus influenzae. Similarly, the use of certain ototoxic medications, exposure to radiation or radioisotopes, or the mother having systemic diseases (e.g., diabetes, chronic nephritis, hypertension, severe anemia, hypothyroidism, alcoholism, carbon monoxide poisoning, severe malnutrition) during pregnancy can also result in fetal SNHL.
During Childbirth: Physical trauma from instruments like forceps, severe birth asphyxia, neonatal kernicterus, Rh or ABO blood group incompatibility between mother and infant leading to hemolytic disease, and premature birth with low birth weight can cause hearing loss.
2.Acquired SNHL refers to hearing loss that occurs during childhood due to bacterial/viral infections, ototoxic drug exposure, or trauma.
Infectious Causes: Illnesses such as epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, meningitis, tuberculous meningitis, mumps, measles, rubella, chickenpox, and herpes can potentially impair cochlear function.
Ototoxic Medications: For example, the indiscriminate use of aminoglycoside antibiotics.
Head Trauma: Craniocerebral injury can damage the structures of the inner ear.
Acoustic Trauma: Exposure to blast explosions or sustained loud noise.