The service, which is delivered on behalf of the HSE by Northgate Public Services, is now available in all maternity hospitals throughout Ireland and aims to identify moderate, severe and profound hearing impairment in newborn babies.
The service, which was initially rolled out on a phased basis four years ago, has been lauded by the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar.
Commenting on the benefits of the universal screening process, Mr. Varadkar said: “Thanks to this simple but effective screening procedure, over 370 cases of permanent childhood hearing impairment have been identified, allowing early treatment to be provided and better outcomes.”
The test, which is provided free of charge, takes place when a child is settled or sleeping by their mothers bedside, and is carried out by a trained hearing screener allows practitioners to identify issues at the earliest possible opportunity.
With one to two babies in every 1,000 born with hearing loss in one or both ears, the test provides an invaluable service and allows for early intervention should it be required.
Outlining the benefits of the test, Dr. Gary Norman, National Clinical Lead for Audiology, says: “The earlier a hearing loss can be picked up in a baby, with timely access to high quality early intervention, the better outcome that baby will have in terms of developing speech and language skills, as well as developing social and emotional interactions from an early age.”
With early detection and medical intervention, children will be given a better chance of developing speech and language skills as well as helping to improve social and emotional interaction from childhood.
Children, who don’t get a clear response in one or both ears, receive an appointment for an Audiology Clinic which will allow them a comprehensive assessment within four weeks of referral.
