A congenital hearing disorder is a hearing problem your baby is born with. The hearing disorder can be caused by a genetic defect that’s passed down in families or non-genetic causes such as:
- Birth injuries
- Blood disorders
- Lack of oxygen (anoxia)
- Low birth weight
- Maternal conditions, like infections, like rubella (German measles), cytomegalovirus, high blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia), or herpes simplex virus
- Premature birth
- Toxins, including drugs or alcohol consumed by the mother during pregnancy
Genetic conditions that can cause hearing loss include:
- Alport syndrome: damages blood vessels in the kidneys and can cause hearing loss and eye problems
- Crouzon syndrome: causes skull bones to fuse prematurely, preventing the head and face from growing normally
- Down syndrome: causes mental and physical development delays
- Treacher Collins syndrome: affects facial development, including the ears
- Usher syndrome: causes hearing and vision loss
- Waardenburg syndrome: causes hearing loss and facial abnormalities
Why Choose UHealth?
Excellence in treating children’s hearing conditions. We’ve been recognized by Children’s Medical Services (CMS), a division within the Florida Department of Health, for excellence in newborn hearing screening and early identification of hearing loss in infants.
World-class health care for children. Children and their families come from all over the world to receive top-quality care from our compassionate team of pediatric specialists. Your child will receive personalized attention from doctors who are sought out for their expertise.
HealthySteps program helps children meet milestones. All our general pediatrics offices use the HealthySteps program to ensure that children are developing appropriately for their age — physically, emotionally, and psychologically. When there are issues or concerns, we work closely with patients and their families to connect them with support resources. We’re the only academic health center in South Florida with developmental and behavioral pediatric specialists on staff.