Congenital Hearing Loss Flashcards
What is the difference between Congenital, Familial and Genetic?
Congenital – trait present at birth
Familial – trait appears in more than one family member
Genetic – condition resulting from change or variation in genes
What are two ways to describe genetic traits?
Inherited
New mutation
What is the relationship between genetic and congenital?
Genetic is always congenital but congenital is not always genetic
Eg congenital Cyto Megalo Virus infection
What is the relationship between Congenital, Genetic, and late-onset?
Congenital and genetic disorders are present at birth but may not express themselves until later in life (late onset)
Estimates for congenital SNHL range from __________________ and congenital CHL hearing loss is ______________________
Estimates for congenital SNHL range from 1/500 to 1/2000
Congenital conductive hearing loss is much less common
Why do we need NBHS (New Born Hearing Screen)?
We want to diagnose kids before 6 months to have less impact on language development
What does the Study show?
Age of identification influences language development
Other reasons
Health (quality of life)
Economic (productive life)
Moral
What are the 2 common methods of NBHS?
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Automated auditory brainstem response (AABR)
What are Otoacoustic emissions? (3)
- Normal cochlea produces low-intensity sounds (OAEs)
- Originates from outer hair cells as they expand and contract
- No behavioral response required
How do ABR work? (3)
Automated auditory brainstem response
- Parts of auditory brainstem function tested
- Evoked potential generated by click stimuli
- No behavioral response required
Who performs OAE and ABR?
Usually performed by audiology technicians
What are the reasons NBHS can be missed by babies?
- Home births
- Parental refusal
- Transferred/discharged prior to test
- Certain hospitals
What are NBHS caveats? (3)
- Universal screening must weigh risk vs benefits
Costs, anxiety caused by false +ve results - NBHS expanded to all of NS in 2006/2007
- Realistic aim is to screen >95% of newborns by age 3 months
What are the false positive rates of AABR and OAE?
AABR: 1-3% false +ve, more costly
OAE: 3-10% false +ve, less costly and quick
What is the protocol for both tests?
OAE
AABR
Both (2 stage testing)
Passing a NBHS does not guarantee: (2)
- That the infant has normal hearing
- That the infant will always have normal hearing
How can you pass a NBHS but have hearing loss? (6)
Hearing loss outside tested frequencies
Hearing loss is better than 35 dB screening threshold
Misinterpretation of results by the technician
Equipment malfunction
Hearing loss occurs after birth
Auditory neuropathy/dyssynchrony (OAE screens)
What happens after a failed NBHS?
-Testing repeated prior to leaving hospital
- Automatic referral to audiology within 2-3 months for diagnostic ABR
- Failed screen has many causes but some children will have normal hearing
What are the 5 main high-risk registers for hearing loss?
- Caregiver concern (hearing, speech, language, developmental delay)
- Family history of permanent childhood HL
- NICU > 5 days, assisted ventilation, ototoxic drugs, hyperbilirubinemia
- Prenatal infections (TORCH)
- Craniofacial anomalies
- Physical findings associated with HL syndrome
- Syndromes with associated HL
- Neurodegenerative disorders associated with HL (eg Charcot-Marie Tooth syndrome)
- Postnatal infections associated with HL (eg meningitis)
- Head trauma (eg basal skull fracture)
- Chemotherapy
- Recurrent or chronic OM (at least 3 months)
What is DNA?
- Deoxyribonucleic acid
- Composed of 4 bases
What are the base pairs of DNA?
- Adenine-Thymine
- Cytosine-Guanine
What are Genes?
Made up of DNA (1000 base pairs = 1 gene)
What are cells?
Smallest unit that can live on its own and that makes up all living organisms and the tissues of the body
What is Transcription and Translation?
Transcription
DNA -> RNA (ribonucleic acid)
Translation
RNA -> Protein
Protein-building blocks of life and biological function