My newborn infant failed his hearing test at 3 days old, what are the causes and is there hope that he can really hear?

I'm sorry to hear about that. The worry that something like this causes has got to be very taxing on you. About 1-3 for every 1,000 babies born has some degree of hearing loss which is more common that you think.

The good news is that they can be treated if they are caught early which is why most states test their hearing in the hospital.

Some common causes of childhood hearing loss is being born prematurely, having a transfusion because of high bilirubin, some medications, complication at birth or even being exposed to a loud sound.

If I were you, I would just be proactive. Talk to your pediatrician about your concerns and see what can be done.

There are so many things that can be done now to help children who cannot hear. There are 2 different types of hearing loss.

Conductive hearing loss deals with the inner ear and some interference in the transmission of sound. This is generally mild and can be temporary.

Sensorineural hearing loss has to do with a problem in the cochlea which is the part of the ear that transduces or turns the physical vibrations into neural energy for the brain to interpret in the temporal lobe. It can range from very mild, to profound, but they have cochlea implants now which can correct this problem as well most of the time.

Good luck and just be sure to ask your dr and never be afraid to get a second opinion.