The causes of hearing loss in childhood (excluding infectious pathology of the middle ear) may be extrinsic (embryofoetopathy, meningitis, trauma, drug ototoxicity, noise trauma, etc.), genetic (e.g., alterations at the DFNB1 locus, STRC pathogenic variations or alterations at the DFN16 locus, SLC26A4 pathogenic variations, OTOF pathogenic variations, POU3F4 pathogenic variations or alterations at the DFNX2 locus), or both. Here, POU3F4 is linked to meningitis.