More than three million babies have now been screened under the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme, which aims to identify moderate, severe and profound deafness in babies.
Since its introduction in March 2006, the programme has identified some 4,500 babies in England with confirmed deafness in one or both ears. Before then, more than half of children with a permanent deafness were not recognised until they were 18 months old, and at least a quarter were not identified by three and a half years of age.
Some 840 children are born each year in the UK with a hearing loss in both ears - 90 per cent of them into families with no experience, or history, of childhood hearing loss.
Professor Adrian Davis OBE, director of the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme, says, 'Hearing screening has had a huge impact on early identification, but hearing problems and deafness can also occur later in life. It's important for early years practitioners to highlight any concerns to parents early and encourage them to speak to their health visitor or GP about their child's hearing. Early diagnosis at any stage in childhood gives the best chance of putting appropriate support in place for the child and the family.'
Fast and painless
Under the scheme, parents are offered the opportunity to have their baby's hearing screened usually before leaving the maternity unit, though the tests can also be carried out at home, a GP surgery or health clinic. The tests used - the Automated Otoacoustic Emissions test (AOAE) and the Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) test - are both painless and fast. They replaced the Infant Distraction Test (IDT), which was found to be unreliable and unsuitable for children under six months of age.
As hearing problems can develop at any age, parents of babies given the all-clear in the tests still receive checklists of the sounds that babies make and respond to as they grow, to help parents monitor their child's development.
Where responses to the tests are unclear - in case background noise, for example, has distorted the results - the baby is re-tested, and only when the second results indicate that there is no clear response will a baby be referred to an audiology department for further tests.
Professor Davis says, 'Diagnosis is just part of the story. Working with the family to support the child's needs as they grow and develop is essential too. The role of the early years practitioner is important and necessary in achieving that. It gives the child the best chance to reach their potential.'
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme, go to: http://hearing.screening.nhs.uk
National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), www.ndcs.org.uk
CASE STUDY: ALEXANDER BELL
Alexander Bell, now three, was screened by the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme after he was born. A subsequent diagnostic testing, at four weeks, confirmed he was deaf and at just six weeks old, he was fitted with hearing aids.
His father Alan says, 'It was all extremely upsetting for us. He was our first child, so we had nothing to compare him with.'
But despite the shock of being told that Alex was deaf, his mother, Alison, is relieved that they agreed to the screening. 'Looking back,' she says, 'I don't know how we would have coped if the diagnosis had come much later in life for Alexander.'
Alexander required bigger and more powerful hearing aids to be fitted at ten months old, but his hearing continued to deteriorate and he was later confirmed as profoundly deaf.
His parents then explored the option of a cochlear implant and were referred to Southampton Cochlear Implant Centre for assessment. Alexander went on to receive his first implant in August last year and his second a year later.
He now attends nursery for two and half days a week. Alison says, 'Alexander has been very lucky to receive the help he has got. Nursery has been, and still is, a fantastic learning experience for him. It has made him a confident and sociable little boy and he has learned some good values and made good developmental progress, even though his language is still very limited.
'Support from both our local services and the nursery itself has been very positive, including the extra training the staff members have committed to.'
The family has also had support from the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), including meeting the NDCS Deaf Role models. These successful deaf adults provide advice to Alan and Alison about the highs and lows of growing up as a deaf person, and what they can go on to achieve.
Wanting to give something back to the charity, Alison has since organised a Deaf Awareness Day at her work and family members have raised over £4,000 for NDCS in sponsored events.
