Hearing loss in children

Hearing loss of varying degrees can be assessed in children from many different perspectives and divisions. In newborns and the smallest children, we diagnose congenital hearing defects, during a genetic examination a conexin mutation can be found. In older children, inflammatory conditions and their complications predominate. In the oldest children, the most common cause of hearing loss is chronic inflammation, to a lesser extent, injuries and idiopathic consequences of hearing impairment. The overview presents individual forms of hearing loss and the mechanism of their occurrence. Hearing impairment investigation methods are different according to age categories and the necessity of the child's cooperation during the investigation. Therapy options are listed for the respective type of hearing loss and the appropriateness of the conservative and surgical method used. Brief anatomical and physiological notes on the structure and function of the auditory system complement the understanding of the development of hearing impairment according to the topography and complexity of the individual parts of the hearing analyzer.

Keywords: auditory system, hearing loss in children, hearing screening, therapy.