NICU stay longer than 5 days, mechanical ventilation, hyperbilirubinemia, or administration of ototoxic drugs (aminoglycosides).
It constitutes an important risk factor for hearing loss (especially auditory neuropathy), thus requiring periodic audiological follow-up.
Family history of childhood hearing loss.
Therefore, the existence of a normal newborn screening (OAE) does not exclude the possibility of deafness appearing later, nor does it exempt from performing an ENT assessment.
The child has deafness associated with disability, as part of a syndromic phenotype.
It is therefore important to highlight that the presence of a neurodevelopmental disorder does not exclude the possibility of coexisting deafness, nor does it exempt from performing an ENT assessment.
Risk factors for childhood hearing loss.
- Family suspicion of deafness*
- Family history of deafness
- Hypothyroidism
- Stay in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) longer than 5 days
- Exposure to ototoxic drugs
- Assisted ventilation
- Persistent otitis
- Perinatal infections* (cytomegalovirus-CMV, herpes, rubella, syphilis, and toxoplasmosis)
- Bacterial meningitis*
- Syndromes associated with deafness*
- Neurodegenerative diseases*
- Neuronal migration disorder*
- Language disorders*
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder*
- Autism spectrum disorder*
- Oral motor dysfunction
(*) Delayed sitting*