Camdyn Holger Baby with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss Date of Birth: 20.08.2000 Country: USA

1. Baby's Joy as He Hears His Mom's Voice
2. A Healthy Baby with a Hearing Surprise
3. MODY Diabetes and Baby's Hearing
4. Possible Link to Mother's Blood Sugar Levels
5. Diagnosis of Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss
6. New Hearing and a Shared Story
7. Growing and Communicating
8. MODY Diabetes and Pregnancy
9. Insulin and Pregnancy
10. Risks of Poor Diabetes Management
11. Hearing Loss in Children

Baby's Joy as He Hears His Mom's Voice

A four-month-old baby beamed with joy after hearing his mother's voice for the first time thanks to a new hearing aid. Kamdin Holgar was born with bilateral moderate-to-severe hearing loss in August 2017. The impairment meant he could only hear loud shouting. However, in November, after multiple appointments and tests, Holgar responded for the first time to a normal-level sound thanks to his hearing aid. His tiny face lit up with delight as his 20-year-old mother, Vanessa, uttered "Hey!" The touching moment was captured on video. Vanessa called the few seconds "very special and amazing."

A Healthy Baby with a Hearing Surprise

Vanessa said everything "went as planned" when it was time to give birth. Her son was born healthy, showing no visible signs of any problems. However, the attentive mother began to worry when her newborn twice failed a hearing test. Vanessa, who is now a mother of two, couldn't recall any family history of hearing loss. She was also told that only 10 percent of babies who fail infant screening actually have a permanent hearing loss.

MODY Diabetes and Baby's Hearing

There are many potential temporary causes for babies to fail a hearing test, from fluid in the ears or head to a baby's own loud crying noises interfering with the test. But Vanessa, who has a rare form of MODY diabetes, a type of adult-onset diabetes in young people, wondered if her condition and insulin levels during pregnancy had anything to do with Kamdin's hearing loss.

Possible Link to Mother's Blood Sugar Levels

The young woman was aware that low or high blood sugar levels in expectant mothers can cause birth defects. "My insulin levels were high throughout my entire pregnancy," Vanessa stated. "I had to give myself insulin in the morning, at night, and before I ate."

Diagnosis of Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Referred to an audiologist in Oregon, Kamdin was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss—an impairment that affects speech and language development. He was fitted with a hearing aid in November 2017.

New Hearing and a Shared Story

"We were excited to share this video of our son smiling and responding to speech," Vanessa said. "We watched a lot of videos like this of babies getting hearing aids when we were waiting to get our son fitted."

Growing and Communicating

Vanessa said that Kamdin's hearing loss is not profound. Without his aids, he could hear when people were yelling or shouting. But now, with hearing aids, he can hear and understand speech at a normal volume. Vanessa's first child has no hearing problems. However, she believes that her MODY diabetes may have had an impact on her second pregnancy.

MODY Diabetes and Pregnancy

According to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), MODY diabetes accounts for only 2 percent of all cases of diabetes in the United States. MODY diabetes impairs the pancreas's ability to produce insulin—a hormone that plays a key role in regulating blood sugar levels.

Insulin and Pregnancy

Vanessa used two types of insulin—Levemir and Humalog—as part of her treatment, but insulin requirements typically change during pregnancy. It's common for women to need less insulin during the first trimester, then more as they reach the middle of their pregnancy. Some women may be advised to adjust their insulin dosages.

Risks of Poor Diabetes Management

Poor diabetes management during pregnancy can increase the risk of birth defects and other health problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hearing Loss in Children

About 2 to 3 percent of children in the United States are born with an identifiable level of hearing loss in both ears, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. In about 25 percent of cases, the cause of the hearing loss is unknown. However, about 75 percent of children with mitochondrial diabetes deafness (MIDD) have sensorineural hearing loss. Vanessa is currently awaiting the results of genetic tests to determine if Kamdin has MIDD.