Apr 4, 2026

Are You Born Deaf? Gene Therapy is ‘Injecting’ a New Shot Of Hope

Are You Born Deaf? Gene Therapy is ‘Injecting’ a New Shot Of Hope

A newborn baby starts its journey of life with “oohs” and “aahs sounds. According to indian traditions, the first word a newborn baby utters is ‘Mah.’

But what if it is born with congenital deafness? That would ‘sound’ most unfortunate.

A study says that around  1.59 to 8.8 per 1000 live births are born deaf. For those unfortunate beings, life becomes soundless and hopeless.

Are any of your acquaintances deaf? We have come with a ray of hope: gene therapy for deafness. It could be a real revolution for you. 

Gene Therapy For Deafness: The Key To Restoring Hearing

When a baby is born, newborn hearing screening is one of the first tests which a hearing doctors conduct. They are done to identify whether they are born with hearing loss. 

Here is a collaborative study conducted by the University of Karolinska and several Hospitals and Universities in China. 

It was carried out on ten participants, ranging between the ages of 1 and 24, who were born with deafness.

The researchers applied a synthetic adeno-associated virus to deliver the OTOF gene directly into their ears. It was applied to the thin membrane of Cochlea.

The results were inspiring, as most of the patients regained levels of hearing. In six months, they could hear the average level of sounds. 

One of the girls, aged 7, responded dramatically as she was able to hear conversations after 4 months of treatment. The best part of the therapy is that one can tolerate it well. 

So deafness is no longer a lifelong curse. If you are someone from the Kolkata suburb area, you could consult an ENT specialist in North Dumdum for deafness. 

What Can Cause Hearing Loss In Childhood

There are several reasons why hair loss is prevalent among children. However, the most common causes of hearing loss include:

Common causes of hearing loss in children include:

• Illnesses like measles or meningitis.

• Ear infections in the middle ear.

• Loud noises from toys and other sources.

• Sports-related injury. 

• Certain medicine.

• Family history. 

In such an instance, the first step is to consult a pediatric hearing loss treatment specialist in Kolkata. 

Doctors understand your hair conditions better. So, early intervention can help you find the right treatment.

What Are The Early Signs Of Deafness In Babies

Here are some of the early signs of deafness among the infants.

• Firstly, the baby will not react to loud sounds.

• It will not be able to detect the source or direction of the sound.

• It will not do any sound utterance mimicking, which is otherwise quite usual. 

• The baby will usually not react to voices and calls.

FAQs:

Q1. What is Sensorineural hearing loss?

This hair loss stems from damaged hair cells within the inner ear or the central processing centre. 

Q2.What is a cochlear implant?

The Cochlear iplant is a medical device which is capable of restoring sensorineural hearing loss. It stimulates the auditory nerve.

Q3.Is gene therapy for deafness available in India?

Gene therapy is quite a new concept and needs more testing and standardisation. They are related mostly to clinical trials.  

Q4. What are the best treatments for congenital hearing loss?

The most effective treatment for congenital hearing loss includes speech and auditory therapy, experimental gene therapy, which is still emerging, hearing aids, etc.