Nongenetic causes of hearing loss
Source: Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall
Topics: Speech and Language Issues, Hearing Health and Disorders, Childhood Infections
Hearing loss falls into two causal categories: nongenetic and genetic (Andrews et al., 2004). The most common nongenetic causes are infections, Rh incompatibility, ototoxic drugs, prematurity, and noise-induced hearing loss, although noise-induced hearing losses are rarely found in children. The table below lists some of the characteristics of common nongenetic causes of hearing loss.
| Etiology | Insult | Possible Outcomes |
| Rubella | Eye, ear, brain, heart | Deaf-blindness, learning disabilities, idiosyncratic effect on residual hearing, impulsivity, distractibility |
| Meningitis | Ear, brain | Severe hearing loss, possible aphasia, distractibility, possible effect on vestibular system |
| Congenital toxoplasmosis | Eye, ear, brain | Eye scarring, microcephaly, seizures, stable or progressive hearing loss, motor and cognitive delays |
| Erythroblastosis fetalis | Ear, brain | Hearing loss, seizures, cerebral palsy, possible language problems |
| Ototoxic drugs | Ear, brain | Fetal alcohol syndrome; conductive or sensorineural hearing loss; mental retardation; learning, behavioral, and emotional difficulties |
| Prematurity | Eye, ear, brain | Vision impairments, hearing loss, cognitive and motor delays |
| Cytomegalovirus | Ear, eye brain | Hearing loss, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, motor difficulties, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, emotional problems |
| HIV | Ear, brain | Hearing loss, developmental delays |
Excerpted From:
Excerpt from Early Childhood Special Education - 0 to 8 Years: Strategies for Positive Outcomes, by S.A. Raver, 2009 edition, p. 283.
© 2009, Merrill, an imprint of Pearson Education Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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