Early tests critical for hearing loss

Within a few years, that little bit of blood drawn from newborns to check for metabolic problems will probably also be able to detect most of the genetic mutations that cause hearing loss.

Recent gains in the field of hearing are, in fact, revolutionary, said Karl White, a professor of psychology at Utah State University and an international authority on early identification and treatment of hearing loss.

Permanent hearing loss is the most frequently diagnosed birth defect, White said. And most of those born with hearing loss have parents who hear just fine. But because no one can see hearing loss, the average age for diagnosis is 2.5 years.

Researchers have identified about 120 genes that contribute to hearing loss. Most of them are not a predisposition, "but a guarantee," he said. "Knowing allows us to treat it better." And not knowing leads to social, emotional, cognitive and academic disruptions, he said.this past week in Salt Lake City. He is also the founding director of USU's National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management.

Early treatment of hearing loss is important, because long before a child speaks, auditory input is helping even newborns develop language. If the connections in the brain aren't made early, they may never be made, or it could take years to catch up. White said a large USU and Boys Town study found that by school age, there was a two-year gap in education between those diagnosed the treated before or after six months.

Anyone wondering about the importance of not losing any time when a child's hearing is involved need only ask Taunya and Norm Paxton or Shanna Mortensen.

The Paxtons' son, Chance, 6, was born with normal hearing but got a virus, probably when he was about 13 months old. His parents say "probably" because they didn't discover he was profoundly deaf until he was 3. A few months ago, he received a cochlear implant

Mortensen's son, Brenden, 7, was diagnosed at birth with moderate to severe hearing loss, and as an infant of 6 months, he was fitted with hearing aids. His communication is age-appropriate, his mother said.

In the few months since Chance received the cochlear implant, he's made amazing strides, his father said. He goes to a public kindergarten half the day and the other half is spent in an oral-deaf first-grade class. But his communication is behind that of his peers.

If routine hearing screening were done more often, his father said, "we could have caught him two years earlier." The little boy has two cochlear implants; the second will be activated next month.