Congenital Causes of Hearing Loss*
Anatomic Area Affected | Etiology† |
|---|---|
Conductive | |
External and middle ear | Genetic Developmental (eg, ossicular fixation) Idiopathic (unknown) malformation |
Sensory | |
Inner ear | Genetic Idiopathic (unknown) malformation Congenital infection (eg, rubella, cytomegalovirus infection, toxoplasmosis, syphilis) Rh incompatibility Anoxia Maternal ingestion of ototoxic medications (eg, for tuberculosis or severe infection) |
Neural | |
Central nervous system | Anoxia Idiopathic (unknown) malformation Genetic Congenital infection (eg, rubella, cytomegalovirus infection, toxoplasmosis, syphilis) Neurofibromatosis (type 2) |
* A number of congenital hearing losses may be mixed losses—a combination of conductive and sensory with or without a neural component. | |
† Causes are listed in approximate order of greatest frequency first. | |