BAMBINO
Helping to improve hearing tests for babies.
The BAMBINO (Behavioural Audiometry Measures in Babies: Innovation, Novelty and Optimisation) project is a University of Manchester study working with families and children under 2 years old to improve hearing tests for babies.
Our goal is to increase the amount of information audiologists (hearing specialists) obtain during hearing assessment by making tests more fun and engaging, and by exploring new ways of measuring how babies respond to sounds.
Better tests would mean:
- Earlier and more accurate diagnosis of hearing problems.
- Earlier, more thorough, checks that babies are getting the maximum benefit from their hearing devices.
- Fewer visits to hospitals and hearing clinics for caregivers and babies.
We are looking for families to take part in our study. If you have a baby under the age of two and are interested, see: Information for participants.
On this page:
Project background
Our work looks into how sounds and images that are meaningful to children, like the theme from a favourite TV show, could be used to increase their level of engagement during hearing tests.
We will also explore how new technology and machine learning can help us interpret subtle changes in babies’ faces and behaviour in response to sounds.
Information for participants
We rely on caregivers and babies volunteering to take part in our research so that we can improve hearing tests.
We are currently running studies with babies between the ages of 3 months and 24 months old. For this phase, we are looking for babies with no known hearing, vision, or development concerns.
If you have a baby under the age of two and are interested in taking part, we’d love to hear from you!
What does taking part involve?
Taking part involves either a visit to our dedicated research facility at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, or, for part of the study, you can complete all the testing at home.
You will be reimbursed up to £10 for your travel expenses. You will also receive a voucher to thank you for your time for each visit, and a voucher to thank you for taking part in the at-home testing.
Please see the relevant participant information sheet for full details of what each study involves:
- Participant information sheet: for our study involving babies aged 3 to 7 months (PDF)
- Participant information sheet: for our study involving babies aged 7 to 24 months (PDF)
- Participant information sheet: for part A (at-home testing) (PDF)
How to take part
If you’re interested in taking part in our research, please submit your contact details to us via our online form and we’ll be in touch when a suitable study is available.
Take our survey
We are looking for caregivers of babies under 2 years old to complete a short survey about the everyday sights and sounds that catch your child’s attention.
Your responses will help us to develop better hearing tests for babies.
We are looking for people who:
- Are caregivers to babies under 2 years old
- Live in the UK
- Are aged 18 or above
Participation in the study is voluntary, and your responses will be anonymous.
Our team
Anisa Visram – Research Fellow
Anisa is a paediatric audiologist and hearing researcher with an interest in improving clinical practice in paediatric audiology. She has significant experience in leading large-scale research studies working with infants with hearing loss.
Iain Jackson – Research Associate
Iain is a developmental psychologist working in research at The University of Manchester. His interests focus on babies’ development and how they learn about the world around them, as well as how we can improve the methods researchers use to learn about babies.
Other team members
- Kevin Munro
- Michael Stone
- Josef Schlittenlacher
- Søren Laugesen
Contact us
If you have any questions, please get in touch.
Email: bambino@manchester.ac.uk
Study participants can also contact the research team by phone:
Anisa Visram
Tel: 07543 228 856
Iain Jackson
Tel: 07785 401460
If you’re interested in taking part in our research, please submit your contact details to us via our online form and we’ll be in touch when a suitable study is available.
Follow us on social media
- Twitter: @bambino_project
- Facebook: BAMBINO study
Contact Us
Email: bambino@manchester.ac.uk
