Yes, if one or both parents have hearing loss, it can be inherited. A genetic mutation present from birth affects the development and function of the ears. This is why it is also referred to as genetic hearing loss. This is often the cause of hearing loss, especially in children. Those affected should definitely have their children undergo a hearing test with a doctor or hearing care professional.

Many types of hearing loss are hereditary. A genetic mutation present from birth affects the development and functioning of the ear. This is why it’s also referred to as genetic hearing loss. This is often the cause of hearing loss, especially in children.

If you or your partner have hearing loss, you should definitely have your child’s hearing function evaluated by an ENT specialist—beyond the standard hearing screening for newborns and infants. This is because both the father and the mother pass on 23 chromosomes to their children. These are components of complex cells that store genetic information. A chromosome contains deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), on which genes are encoded, as well as various proteins. Every human cell contains 46 chromosomes and thus two copies of the blueprint of life.

The risk of inheriting hearing loss, for example, depends on whether a potential mutation in the gene is dominant or recessive. A dominant mutation causes hearing loss if just one of the two copies of the gene inherited from the parents is defective. Recessive mutations only manifest if both copies contain the defect—that is, if both parents are carriers of the gene mutation. Such genetic defects can affect the development and function of the ear. For example, the sensory cells in the inner ear may be damaged and no longer function normally, resulting in genetic hearing loss. Genetic factors can also increase sensitivity to noise, inflammation, and other influences. Examples of hereditary forms of hearing loss include Pendred syndrome, Usher syndrome, and otosclerosis.

Did you know that babies can hear while still in the womb? And that their hearing develops during the first few years of life and is still very different from that of an adult?

The cochlea is fully developed by the 22nd to 23rd week of pregnancy. This means that babies can hear in the womb starting around the middle of pregnancy. At first, they hear mainly their mother’s voice, sounds inside her womb, her blood circulation, and her heartbeat, but they can also hear their siblings or dad. So it’s a good idea to talk to the baby while it’s still in the womb—that way, it will already be familiar with family members before birth.

Babies also hear environmental sounds from outside the womb, such as music, more and more clearly as the pregnancy progresses. At first, they hear high-pitched sounds, like their mother’s voice, better than low-pitched ones. This changes later on, as the abdominal wall and amniotic fluid tend to transmit low-pitched sounds more effectively. That’s good news for Dad—the baby will be able to hear him, too. By the way, after birth, many babies find the very sounds they heard while in their mother’s womb to be soothing. That could even include the vacuum cleaner or a hair dryer.

The sense of hearing develops fully during pregnancy and is fully functional in a healthy newborn. However, a newborn’s hearing initially differs greatly from that of an adult. It develops particularly during the first three years of life, stimulated by auditory impressions from the environment. During this so-called “sensitive phase,” the brain works intensively to refine, sharpen, and meaningfully interpret auditory information. As development continues, hearing ability continues to refine, albeit at a much slower pace. It is not until around the ages of five or six that it is fully developed.

It is therefore very important that you pay attention to your child’s hearing, because hearing ability has a major impact on life and the development of social and communication skills. Only those who can hear well can learn to speak. Genetic hearing loss can therefore have serious consequences.

If your child shows one or more signs of hearing loss, you should take action and see a doctor. The most important signs are:

• Delayed or absent speech development
• Your child does not respond when spoken to
• They often ask you to repeat what you said
• They have to “search” left and right to locate sounds
• Your child has difficulty focusing on a single voice when several people are talking
• They want the TV turned up louder than other family members would like.
• They speak very loudly or
• performs poorly in school.

Untreated hereditary hearing loss has a negative impact on a child’s education, learning, career prospects, and overall quality of life. Therefore: Please don’t wait. Your child should get used to wearing a hearing aid as early as possible so that they can communicate and integrate socially.

Find out here what hearing aid solutions are specifically designed for children.