How Many People Are Born Deaf?
Those who are born deaf have congenital deafness. This condition is less common than deafness caused by later life events and can be attributed to a variety of causes.
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Amount
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Approximately one out of every 1,000 to 2,000 babies is born deaf.
Causes
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There are two main causes of deafness in infants. One is an insufficient number of hair cells, which activate the auditory nerve in the ear. The second is that the nerves are present but do not function correctly. Genetics plays a role in approximately half of all cases of congenital deafness. Illnesses the baby's mother had during pregnancy and some medications ingested during pregnancy can also cause infants to be born deaf. Congenital deafness can be caused by consumption of alcohol or drugs during pregnancy as well. Prematurely born babies are also at risk for this condition.
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Statistics
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Those who were born deaf account for only 10% of all cases of deafness.
Treatment
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Early treatment is important for those born deaf so that they are able to develop communication skills. Hearing aids can be used to help children as young as four weeks old, but these cannot help all children born deaf. Cochlear implants are another form of treatment in which a device is surgically implanted in a child's ear. This procedure can be performed on children as young as one year old.
Symptoms
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Most infants are screened for hearing problems before leaving the hospital. If birth takes place at home, it's important to have the baby examined by a doctor within the first three weeks of life. Infants who are born deaf will not respond to sound. They will also not produce language; this includes even basic nonsense sounds.
Sign Language
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Sign language is an important communication tool for those with congenital deafness, especially when that deafness cannot be treated with hearing aids or a cochlear implant. Babies are young as a year old have the motor skills needed to sign.
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