It's estimated that nearly 90% of all children with hearing loss have parents with normal hearing. However, genetics do play a role in both congenital hearing loss and hearing loss that occurs later in life. Research shows that genetic factors cause more than 50% of all incidents of children born with hearing loss (View the ASHA article). Other causes of congenital hearing loss include prenatal infections, prenatal illnesses, and maternal diabetes.
Some children inherit the tendency to develop hearing loss later in life. Genetic research teaches us that if a child has one parent who carries a dominant genetic mutation for hearing loss (and typically exhibits hearing loss), each child has a 50% chance of having hearing loss. If two parents have a recessive mutation for hearing loss (and typically normal hearing), each child has a 25% chance of having hearing loss. For more information about hearing loss and genetics, visit the ASHA and CDC websites.
Image provided courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
No comments:
Post a Comment