 News
17th March 2006
Newborns to receive hearing test
All parents of newborns in England will be offered a test
to see if their baby is deaf or has hearing problems.
More than 1,600 babies are expected to be tested each day as part of
the NHS New-born Hearing Screening Programme.
The new test uses equipment that measures how well a baby's ears respond
to sound and will replace the current Infant Distraction Test which is
less reliable.
The distraction test has been used to check a baby's hearing since the
1960s by observing an infant's reaction to a series of sounds such as
clapping and could only be used on children over 6 monts old.
The new technology enables hearing to be tested at an earlier age and
reduces the possibility of missing hearing impairment or deafness at birth.
Professor Adrian Davis, director of the screening programme, said, "Over
1,000 babies are born each year in England with deafness or hearing loss
in one, or both, ears.
"It is essential, therefore, that this is identified early. The programme
does just that, enabling parents to access the appropriate support for
their babies as quickly as possible."
Professor Al Aynsley-Green, Children's Commissioner for England, said
it was important to give every child the support needed to achieve their
full potential.
He said, "The newborn hearing screening programme will help to achieve
this by giving hundreds of babies born with hearing impairment and deafness
the opportunity to develop communication skills and bond with their parents
from an early age."
Angela King, a senior audiology specialist for the Royal National Institute
for the Deaf said, "RNID is delighted that all newborn babies will have
their hearing screened in the first few days of life.
"For too long families have faced long periods of worry and uncertainty
if they began to suspect that their child wasn't hearing them.
"If your baby is deaf, it's important to know as soon as possible so
that you can give them the best possible chance to develop language and
communication skills and be fully involved in everything around them."
The test takes only a few minutes and is completely safe and painless.
The screening programme is available at 122 hospitals and will gradually
rollout across the country.
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