Diagnosis and treatment of sensorineural hearing loss in children.

Sensorineural hearing loss can arise from a multitude of etiologic factors. In evaluating hearing loss in a child, it is important to determine if the loss is congenital or delayed and if it is genetic or nongenetic in origin. Examples of etiologies based on this classification are given, including the symptoms and extent of impairment. Determining the extent and etiology of hearing impairment is only the first step; the aim is to maximize the speech and language development of the hearing-impaired child.