ABSTRACT
The ramifications of childhood hearing loss should not be underestimated. An estimated 5000 infants are born each year in the United States with moderate to profound bilateral permanent hearing loss. Hearing losses may be categorized as conductive, sensorineural, or mixed. Elucidating the etiology of a patient's hearing loss is useful for optimizing management, predicting progression, and determining the risk of hearing impairment in family members and offspring. Hereditary hearing loss can be divided into syndromic and nonsyndromic forms. Mitochondrial mutations have been implicated in nonsyndromic hearing loss, susceptibility to aminoglycoside ototoxicity, and presbycusis. In utero exposure to teratogens during the prenatal period can result in hearing loss. Causes for acquired hearing loss in infants and children can be infectious, traumatic, anatomic, iatrogenic, or associated with medical disease. Comprehensive management of the pediatric hearing loss patient includes ongoing audiologic and medical surveillance.
