Advances in understanding the many different genetic causes of childhood-onset hearing loss indicate that genomic testing could assist in treatment planning, including optimal timing of treatment.
Even if a child with hearing loss did not receive a diagnosis from genetic testing a few years ago, very rapid recent progress in genomics makes re-testing worthwhile, according to scientists in this field.
Hearing loss, usually stemming from sensory problems in the inner ear, affects about 1 in 400 newborns in the United States. About half of these children have a genetic cause for their hearing loss.
More than 120 genes and thousands of different genetic variants can lead to childhood hearing loss. Virtually all children with genetic hearing loss have a mutation or mutations in only one gene.
