November: National Deafness Sector Summit

Protecting Young Ears: Navigating Disease & Medication Risks

15 November 2024

This Summit was an opportunity for engagement and conversation around hearing loss prevention for children.

Deafness Forum Australia brought to the community leading experts from Murdoch’s Children’s Institute and Cerebral Palsy Alliance to discuss hearing loss prevention in babies, children and youth, with a focus on mitigating risks of antibiotic treatment and contracting congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV).

About the Speakers

Presentation 1: Antibiotics and Hearing Loss

Dr Duaa Gaafar is a general paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital and an honorary research fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI). She specialises in paediatric clinical pharmacology and focuses on adverse drug reactions, drug allergies, and pharmacogenomics. Duaa is actively involved in research projects exploring drug-related adverse effects in children as part of her PhD, contributing to safer prescribing practices and advancing the field of paediatric pharmacology.

Presentation 2: Congenital Cytomegalovirus Opportunities for Prevention

A/Prof Hayley Smithers-Sheedy, BAppSc(Sp Path), MPH, PhD is a Principal Research Fellow at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, The University of Sydney. Her research interests include the epidemiology of cerebral palsy, congenital infections and assistive technology. In addition to her work in cerebral palsy epidemiology, Hayley collaborates with a team of clinical experts to conduct research and to develop and evaluate programs aimed at the prevention of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a significant cause of neurodevelopmental disability.

Kath Swinburn, BAppSc(Sp Path), MPH,  is a Research Officer and Ethics Governance  Manager at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, The University of Sydney. Kath co-leads CP Quest, an initiative aimed at involving people with lived experience in cerebral palsy research. Working in collaboration with researchers across Australia and New Zealand, Kath also leads a suite of research initiatives and programs aimed at the prevention of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a significant cause of cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Pam Rogers is a passionate disability advocate and devoted mother of Christopher. Pam holds qualifications in early education and is currently training to be a doula. As a parent peer facilitator Pam supports parents to navigate the complexities of raising children with disabilities and empowering them with the knowledge and resources they need. She is a member of CP Quest and a research partner across a range of cCMV studies.

Summit Resources

• Watch the recording.
• Read the  transcript.
• View the Presentations:
  1. Antibiotics and Hearing Loss   – Dr Duaa Gaafar, Royal Children’s Hospital/Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
  2. Congenital Cytomegalovirus Opportunities for Prevention – A/Prof Hayley Smithers-Sheedy & Kath Swinburn from Cerebral Palsy Alliance/The University of Sydney; and CMV lived experience expert, Pam Rogers.
• Explore our National Deafness Sector Summit Reflection Paper

Additional Resources

More information and free promotional CMV resources are available at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s website here.

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute conducts ongoing research around childhood hearing loss, including CMV. More information here.