Birth Defect
In some rare cases, a baby might be born with cholesteatoma. These congenital cholesteatomas are often considered to be a birth defect. Even when their eardrums are still normal, the tiny skin cells can be sucked into their middle ears, thus obstructing the eustachian tube. In the long term, this can lead to the buildup of fluids inside the ear and cause hearing loss. Symptoms tend to become clear when children are between the ages of 1 to 6 years. However, keep in mind that this is a very rare cause and the cause is not fully understood. [2]
