Every thousandth child in the world is diagnosed with congenital hearing loss. This condition subsequently leads to problems with speech and developmental lag. The earlier it is possible to identify an anomaly, the higher the chances of adapting the baby to life in society. Because it is so important at the first suspicion of deafness to see a doctor.
Etiology of the disease
The human auditory organ includes three components, each of which performs a specific function. Thus, the outer ear consists of the external passage and the auricle. It is responsible for catching sounds and transferring them to the tympanic membrane.
In the middle ear, these fluctuations increase and are transmitted further - into the labyrinth of the inner ear. It is here that the sounds are transformed into pulses that enter the brain. If any part of the hearing instrument is damaged, problems occur.
Depending on the location of the pathological process, these types of deafness are distinguished:
- Conductive - is associated with violations of the anatomy of the outer or middle ear.
- Sensoneural - develops due to damage to the inner ear or cerebral cortex. This type of disease is detected in 90% of cases.
The photo shows the affected areas of conduction and sensorineural deafness
Causes of congenital deafness
In most cases, genetic predisposition leads to the development of this type of deafness. If the direct relatives have hearing impairments, the risk of problems in the baby is 30-50%.Severe forms of congenital deafness associated with the defeat of the GJB2 gene are transmitted autosomal recessive.
In addition, the cause of such problems can be the following:
- Infectious pathology of the mother during the period of bearing of the child. Deafness can be a consequence of influenza, herpetic infection, toxoplasmosis. Also, it causes rubella, cytomegalovirus infection. These diseases are especially dangerous in the first trimester. It is during this period that the auditory organ of the fetus develops.
- Use of ototoxic agents during pregnancy. These include furosemide, aspirin, antibacterial agents from the group of aminoglycosides.
- Toxicosis in the 1-2 trimester of pregnancy.
- Chronic maternal pathologies. The cause of deafness in a child can be diabetes, kidney failure, heart disease and blood vessels.
- Drinking, smoking, taking drugs during pregnancy.
Diagnosis
The hearing in the newborn baby is checked in the hospital. This should be done on 3-4 days of life.
Also sometimes this procedure is performed at the first visit to the polyclinic. For this purpose, use an auditory device.
Examination is performed while the baby is sleeping. Usually it takes no more than a quarter of an hour. In the ear of the baby insert a special probe, which produces high-frequency sounds.
The reflected oscillations fix a special sensor. The results of the study can be seen on the monitor of the device.
In some cases, more complex procedures are required. These include impedance measurement, computer audiometry. The diagnosis is based on the results of a number of studies.
Treatment
Congenital deafness does not lend itself to medical treatment. In most cases, endoprosthetics or hearing aid are performed. One of the methods of correction of pathology in children is the use of special instruments for sound amplification.
In severe cases, a hearing aid is used. If this method does not produce results, the cochlear implant is implanted. Patients with a conductive form of an abnormality are shown an operation that conducts sounds on the temporal bone. For this, the patient is implanted with titanium implants, and the receiver of sound is attached to the ear. Thanks to this, it is possible to improve the perception of sound.
How to recognize the signs of deafness, see in our video:
Adaptation of children, features of socialization
Since the treatment of congenital deafness is not possible, therapy should be aimed at the socialization of the child. For this purpose, special training methods are provided. The child and his relatives are taught the language of gestures.
Many children can later read a speech on the lips. Also, there are data that in case of hearing impairment, the lost functions are taken over by other organs. In people with this diagnosis, vision is often aggravated and observation is intensified. Often patients experience improved smell and touch. Thus, the brain tries to compensate for the lack of information.
Congenital deafness is a very serious condition that often has a hereditary nature. In some situations, the disease develops due to the impact of negative factors during pregnancy. In any case, the first signs of ailment should be the reason for detailed diagnosis.