[Medical Q&A] Which drugs may cause deafness in children?

Author: Zhao Shouqin, Chief Physician, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University

Reviewer: Wang Ningyu, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

It used to be very common for children to have drug-induced deafness due to a cold or improper use of medication. With the development of science and the progress of the times, drug-induced deafness is becoming less and less common, but parents should still pay attention to it.

1. Aminoglycoside antibiotics: They are very clear drugs that can cause deafness in children. More than 20 years ago, aminoglycoside antibiotics were widely used in clinical practice, mainly including streptomycin, gentamicin, amikacin, etc. In particular, streptomycin was used to treat tuberculosis. What's worse is that streptomycin and penicillin were often used in combination at that time. Penicillin is not an ototoxic drug, but streptomycin is. Once penicillin and streptomycin are used together, many children will become deaf. The younger the child, the easier it is to be poisoned. For example, newborns are more likely to become deaf if they use streptomycin.

2. Antimalarial drugs: Some quinoline antimalarial drugs are ototoxic. This type of antimalarial drug is not commonly used, and some parents may not have seen it, but it exists in some places.

3. Salicylic acid preparations: They are antipyretic and analgesic drugs, and some children are very sensitive to them.

4. Anti-tumor drugs: Some anti-tumor drugs may also be ototoxic.

Of course, the last three drugs are uncommon. The most common drugs that can easily cause deafness in children are still aminoglycoside antibiotics, and this drug-induced deafness is irreversible.

If the child is a little older and develops tinnitus after using an ototoxic drug and can describe it to his parents or doctor, the drug should be stopped immediately; but if the child is too young, such as a baby under 1 year old and cannot describe the symptoms, then the worst case scenario is that he is already deaf when it is discovered.