by Kate Moss, Family Training Specialist,
based on information from CHARGE Syndrome: A Booklet
for Families.
A \"syndrome\" is described as a recognizable pattern of birth defects.
One of the more complex syndromes that can result in both vision and hearing
loss is CHARGE Syndrome. Children diagnosed with CHARGE most commonly have:
The cause of CHARGE is not known. It is not known to be related to illness, exposure to drugs or alcohol during pregnancy, and typically it does not occur to more than one person in a family. It is very rare, and cannot be predicted. It is important however, to discuss risks for passing CHARGE Syndrome to future generations with a trained geneticist.
Children with CHARGE require a great deal of medical management. There are often numerous surgeries to repair heart defects, choanal atresia, the gastrointestinal tract, the esophagus, cleft lip or palate, etc. Although many of these procedures are done when the child is a newborn, some of the less life-threatening problems may not appear until later or may have to wait until later in the life of the child to be addressed.
This results in a very difficult time for the child and the family emotionally,
physically, and financially. It is easy to neglect to give time or energy
to a spouse (or other children) when such incredible demands are being
made of the parents. These families have great need for support in finding
medical resources, financial resources, and respite resources. Often times
the hospital social worker can help families in locating these resources
locally. However, it is also a good idea to contact the CHARGE Syndrome
Foundation to help the family learn more about the specific condition and
what other families have done in similar situations. The address for this
organization follows:
Once the major medical problems are addressed there are still ongoing issues related to problems with growth, sexual maturation, intelligence, vision, hearing, speech and language development, and general health. Again, not every child will have all of these anomalies present, but it is good to be aware of some of the issues since some of the problems develop later in the child.
Children with CHARGE Syndrome are often sickly, especially in the early years. They frequently experience colds that turn into pneumonia. Even conditions that would be minor in most children may become serious conditions for them.
Though many of these children have normal intelligence, some children with CHARGE may have mental retardation which can range from mild to severe. However, the level of the child's intelligence may be difficult to assess if there is vision and/or hearing loss. This is why it is essential that children with CHARGE have their vision and hearing evaluated.
Some children with CHARGE have problems with visual acuity (either near- or far-sighted) which usually can be corrected with glasses. However, some of these children may also have field losses which can cause problems for them in reading, travel, reading sign language or doing other visual tasks. A good ophthalmologist can help advise the family on corrective measures. A teacher of the visually impaired can help in making recommendations for educational modifications and strategies.
If the child has a suspected hearing problem the otolaryngologist and audiologist can evaluate the child to determine if there are surgical procedures and/or assistive listening devices that can be considered. Since these children often suffer from chronic otitis media (fluid in the middle ear), they need to be monitored on a regular basis. Additionally, the teacher of the deaf and hearing impaired will be able to assist in making recommendations for educational modifications and strategies. A speech pathologist is also likely to be involved in helping the child with speech issues.
Children with CHARGE Syndrome are very different one from another. The combination of defects they experience and the impact of the combination of defects vary greatly. What these children have in common is the need to have a thorough evaluation of all the conditions they manifest and a team approach in both the medical and educational arenas that provides for the child's individual needs. The families of these children must be a part of these teams, and they must have support in addressing the unique needs of their child.
I encourage parents of children with CHARGE Syndrome to contact the
CHARGE Syndrome Foundation. Your local school district staff, Regional
Education Service Center staff, Texas Commission for the Blind caseworker,
or TSBVI Outreach staff can also be very helpful to you.