Some patients, particularly young children, may be born with a genetic mutation which means they are at risk of hearing loss after taken antibiotics called aminoglycosides.  There is now a drive to consider screening patients for the genetic mutation known as m.1555A-G which is held in around 1 in 1,611 newborns in the USA, 1 in 206 newborns in New Zealand and 1 in 40,000 newborns in the UK.
Aminoglycosides are valuable antibiotics used for serious infections such as complicated urinary tract infections, TB and septicemia.  They are known to potentially cause damage to the ear – otoxicity. Individuals holding the mutation have an …read more