Causes of deafblindness

There are many possible causes of deafblindness. The condition can either be present at birth or develop later in life.

Deafblindnessfrom birth

Deafblindness from birth is known as congenital deafblindness.

It can be caused by:

• problems associated with premature birth (birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy)
• an infection picked up during pregnancy, such as Rubella (German measles), toxoplasmosis or cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• genetic conditions, such as CHARGE syndrome or Down's syndrome
• cerebral palsy a problem with the brain and nervous system that mainly affects movement and co-ordination
• foetal alcohol syndrome health problems caused by drinking alcohol in pregnancy

Deafblindnesslater in life

In most cases, deafblindness develops later in life. This is known as acquired deafblindness.

A personwith acquired deafblindnessmay beborn without a hearing or sightproblem and then later loses part or all of both senses. Alternatively, someone may be born with either a hearing or vision problem,and then later loses part or all of the other sense later on.

Problems that cancontribute toacquired deafblindness include:

• age-related hearing loss
• Usher syndrome a genetic condition that affects hearing, vision and balance
• eye problems associated withincreasing age, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) , cataracts and glaucoma
• diabetic retinopathy a complication of diabetes where the cellslining the back of the eyeare damaged by high blood sugar levels
• damage to the brain, such as from meningitis , encephalitis , a stroke or severe head injury

Want to know more?

• Sense: Deafblindness causes and associated conditions
• Sense: A-Z of deafblindness causes