HEAR
HEAR
RADY CHILDREN’S TURNS THE SOUND UP FOR KIDS WITH HEARING LOSS there are many causes of hearing loss in infants and children, there are also degrees of hearing loss. Assessing the cause and the severity is integral to the treatment plan. “The most common cause of hearing loss in children is genetic—it can be responsible for as much as 40 to 50 percent. That’s why we have genetic counselors as part of our Comprehensive Hearing Assessment Team,” Dr. Carvalho explains. “Another common cause is congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV), a virus that is present in the mother during pregnancy. Around 20 percent of babies with CMV will have progressive hearing loss. If diagnosed early, this can be treated with antiviral medication.” As with many conditions, early intervention is key to preventing developmental delays and improving quality of life. Rady Children’s has implemented a process for all local birthing hospitals to do a targeted screening for CMV. “I don’t think there are many hospitals in California that do this as well as we do here in San Diego,” she continues. “But if you can diagnose these kids early, you can treat them early. This is the only type of hearing loss you can treat with medication, but you have to screen them before they’re 3 weeks old.” All newborns receive a hearing screening. If necessary, they are then referred for a CMV screening, as well as genetic testing. Hearing loss severity is also
Imagine a world without the typical sounds Ĵì ĴťăăďķīăðŒÐĮȰĴìÐă ķæìĴÐīďåāðÌĮĨă řðĊæș ďķīå ŒďīðĴÐĮďĊæÆďĉðĊæďĊĴìÐī Ìðďș ÆìďīķĮďåÌďæĮÅ īāðĊæșďīĴìÐÆďĉåďīĴďå æÐĊĴăÐăķăă ÅřȘ This is the reality for roughly four out of every 1,000 children in the United States born with hearing loss in one or both ears, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. “I am in awe of our innate ability to hear; I am passionate about the delicate art of bringing a child’s ability to hear back to them,” says Daniela Carvalho, MD, a pediatric otolaryngologist, cochlear implant surgeon and director of the Hearing Program at Rady Children’s. Dr. Carvalho has been with the program since its inception in 2003 and is a leading expert in pediatric ear conditions and treatments, like cochlear implants and bone-anchored hearing aids. In fact, she was ĴìÐťīĮĴĮķīæÐďĊðĊw Ċ#ðÐæďĴďĨÐīåďīĉÅďĊÐȭ anchored hearing aid surgery on children and is ĴìÐďĊăřĨÐÌð ĴīðÆĮķīæÐďĊÆÐīĴðťÐÌðĊw Ċ#ðÐæď County to perform cochlear implants. “Our Hearing Program is by far the most comprehensive in California,” she adds. “As you can imagine, hearing loss comes with a lot of other concerns, such as speech and language delays, so we have to assess cognitive development in children with hearing loss. We are very proud of our cohesive team, which is comprised of audiologists, speech language pathologists, psychologists and social workers, a geneticist, education liaison and parent liaison.”
assessed to determine whether the child needs hearing aids or if they’re a candidate for cochlear implants.
Not all hearing loss sounds the same. Just as
14 HEALTHY KIDS MAGAZINE WINTER 2024
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