Risk Factors for Hearing Loss
Risk factors for hearing loss in young children include the following:
- Apgar score of 0–4 at 1 minute or 0–6 at 5 minutes after birth
- Caregiver (e.g., parent, other relative, teacher, health care provider) concerns about hearing, speech, language, or other areas of development
- Chronic ear infections (e.g., otitis media)
- Congenital auditory system abnormalities
- Exposure to loud noises or to medications that can damage the auditory system (ototoxic drugs; e.g., aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], antibiotics, diuretics, chemotherapy drugs)
- Family history of genetic hearing impairment, neurological disorders (e.g., Hunter syndrome, neuropathies), or other conditions that can result in hearing loss (e.g., Waardenburg syndrome, Usher syndrome)
- Head trauma
- High blood levels of bilirubin (hyperbilirubinemia) at birth
- In utero (before birth), neonatal (newborn), or childhood infections (e.g., bacterial meningitis, cytomegalovirus, herpes, rubella [German measles], syphilis, toxoplasmosis)
- Loss of consciousness
- Tumor (of the nervous system or auditory system)
Approximately 50% of infants born with a hearing impairment do not have an identifiable risk factor.
