Gene Detector to Prevent Child Deafness in China

The 21 performers who danced the One Thousand Hands Buddha are admired because they succeeded in spite of being deaf. Unknown to most who watched, 18 of the dancers became deaf because of inappropriate use of antibiotics.

In China, more than 1 million children become deaf due to misuse of antibiotics such as streptomycin, kanamycin and gentamicin, according to the Chinese Medical Association. But a gene detector, which can identify genes related to deafness, is expected to turn the tide on this problem.

China's State Food and Drug Administration had approved the detector for clinical use. The device will be made available for hospitals across the country, said Cheng Jing, chief technology officer of National Engineering Research Center for Beijing Biochip Technology or CapitalBio Corporation.