Hearing loss that is passed down in families

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HealthWiki > Helping Children Who Are Deaf > Chapter 15: Why children lose their hearing and what we can do > Hearing loss that is passed down in families

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

Grandfather was deaf, just like
Lihua. I wonder how much deafness there has been in our family...

Some children’s ears do not develop fully. This is passed down in families, inherited from earlier generations (called a “genetic condition”), although no one else in the family may show signs of deafness.

Hearing loss because parents are related

Some kinds of hearing loss can happen when close family members, such as first cousins, have children together. This is common in some village communities. If you, your children, or your family members have difficulty hearing, other children born later may also have hearing problems.

Sometimes a child who has an inherited hearing loss may also have other conditions, such as difficulty seeing; different-colored eyes or white streaks in the hair; goiter or heart trouble; or abnormally-shaped bones of the head, hands, feet, arms, legs, or neck. But sometimes the only inherited condition is the hearing loss. Hearing loss may be partial or full, and may be from the time of birth, or may develop later.

This is my son Pratap. He is deaf, and so is my uncle.

Will our other babies be born deaf, too?

Prevention:

Avoid having children with close relatives such as cousins. Genetic counselors (people who know about the risk of certain diseases being passed from parents to their children) are available in some cities. Try to talk to a health worker if you are concerned about hearing loss in your family.