Causes of Infantile Auditory Loss and the Hearing Center

Do you suspect your infant may suffer from hearing impairment? If so, a simple visit to a hearing center will help alleviate your fears.

Auditory loss is one of the most common birth defects. Statistics show in the U.S. each year, about 12,000 babies are born with hearing impairment.

There are some causes of infantile auditory loss known as auditory neuropathy. Genetics, a lack of oxygen at birth or a blood transfusion for severe jaundice to name a few. Whatever the cause, the fact your infant may not hear well can be devastating.

But you may argue your infant had a mandatory hearing evaluation in a hearing center before he left the hospital. Unfortunately, many babies will pass this test and cause delay in the identification of auditory neuropathy. Over a period of time the parents begin to notice no reaction to various sounds throughout the day.

Hearing centers screen newborns with one or two tests which measure their response to sound. The tests take less than fifteen minutes, are painless and can be performed when the baby is asleep.

The tests are high tech as a small microphone is put inside the baby's ear. A computer sends clicking sounds into the ear canal and records the ear's response to each sound.

Another test is done with placed sensors on the head and a computer measures brain waves in response to the clicking sounds. Both of these tests are an effective determination if the baby can hear.

Sometimes a baby will fail one or both of these tests. The causes for failure can be the following:

1) Ear Canal debris
2) Too much noise or movement from the baby
3) Too much fluid in the ear canal from birth
4) Fluid behind the ear drum

So, what happens if your baby fails the hearing test? Your audiologist will most likely schedule another test at a later date.

The second test will be scheduled at least one week after the first one. If there was any fluid in the ear canal from the birth process it will need at least a week to dry. Make sure you feed the baby just before the test as this will enable the child to be at rest and have reduced movement.

Auditory neuropathy's cause is not known. It can be different from infant to infant. This makes it difficult to treat. At this time, there is no particular medical treatment for it. Management is the key and usually means cochlear implants or hearing aids.


It's vital you, as the parents, not get discouraged in this process. There have been numerous advancements in the digital technology field. If your audiologist suggests a hearing aid for your child, he knows it's the most beneficial treatment.

Again, it's not a time to panic or think the worst. It's a time to do all you can to help your baby get the best help he can possibly have.