A mixed hearing loss occurs in both the outer/middle ear and in the inner ear. It is a combination of a conductive loss and sensorineural hearing loss.
A progressive hearing loss occurs when a child loses their hearing over time. A baby may be able to hear at birth and gradually lose their hearing. It is important to note that even if a baby passes their newborn hearing screening, this does not ensure that they will always have normal hearing. In fact, gradual losses may occur any time after birth and it is important for parents to tell their pediatrician if they have concerns about their child’s hearing and or language development.
Sometimes an infant or young child who is deaf or hard of hearing may have other signs or symptoms as well. When multiple congenital malformations appear together, they may be described as a syndrome.
A unilateral hearing loss occurs in only one ear. It can be conductive, sensorineural or mixed. Although a child with this loss has good hearing in one ear, they will have difficulty knowing where sound is coming from, hearing in noisy environments, and hearing on the affected side.
This type of hearing loss refers to hearing that changes, or fluctuates. A child may have better hearing on some days and poorer hearing on other days. Fluctuating hearing loss can be conductive or sensorineural. A common cause of fluctuating hearing loss is otitis media, or fluid in the middle ear.