Deafness or hearing loss can occur when hearing is affected by infection, disease, disorder or injury to the ear. Some babies may be affected from birth, while for others hearing loss can occur at a later stage. 

Approximately 840 babies are born with a significant hearing problem in the UK every year and around 20,000 children under the age of 15 are recognised to be moderately or severely deaf.

Deafness or hearing loss can have an impact on all aspects of a child’s life from learning to communicate to developing skills and undertaking everyday activities.

How we’re helping

Sparks research projects could lead to earlier detection and/or possible prevention of hearing loss or deafness in babies.

Our research projects in this area

• Preventing hearing loss

  This project could result in saving the hearing of hundreds of babies every year through better screening

• Researching deafness caused by antibiotics

  The research team is building a strong case for the NHS screening of vulnerable groups of babies and children before prescribing certain antibiotics