The Sound of Silence: Kids and Ototoxicity
A 2008 Reader's Digest article titled "Light in the Dark" introduced the world to triplets Sophie, Emma and Zoe Hooker, who were then seven years old. The triplets were born prematurely at 24 weeks, and a potentially fatal infection caused physicians in their neonatal unit to administer several different antibiotics. Unfortunately, the medications were ototoxic, meaning that they caused damage to the girls' inner ears. Sophie, Emma and Zoe were all deaf before they were two years old. Their mother, Liz, agreed to cochlear implants for the girls, but the implants had minimal effect. Because of their hearing loss and…