September 2, 1999. Copyright, 1999, Graphic News. All rights reserved

PUSH TO SCREEN INFANT DEAFNESS
By Margot Nesdale

LONDON, September 2, Graphic News: NURSES ACROSS the developed world are slipping tiny gadgets into the ears of sleeping newborn babies. 
The soft, harmless probes will quickly tell them whether the babies are deaf by measuring the inner earÕs response to sound.
The devices are being used as part of a move towards national screening for infant deafness in many countries.
Doctors say delaying diagnosis can have an irreversible effect on childrenÕs speech and language development.
When active otoacoustic emissions are found it proves that the inner ear is working normally. While it does not identify the cause of hearing loss in children who fail the test, these can be referred for further testing and treatment.
In America three to four babies out of every 1,000 have permanent hearing loss. In the UK the rate is between one and two.
Most British hospitals with audiology departments currently screen only high-risk babies.
They include those with a family history of deafness, premature babies, those suffering from neonatal illnesses, or cranial facial abnormalities.
ÒThe earlier we can pick it up the betterÓ, said audiological scientist Steve Watson, of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
ÒScreening is very important for infants who have very severe hearing loss to give them the best chance of developing speech and language skillsÓ, said Mr Watson.
Screening using otoacoustic emissions testing involves placing tiny microphones in the babiesÕ ears, which produce a quiet sound. If the inner ear is healthy it responds with a clicking noise of its own.
Mr Watson said he hoped universal screening would be adopted in the UK within several years.
Testing newborns in the U.S. is gaining momentum and 20 states have passed laws requiring screening. Similar legislation is pending in five more states.
Another major advantage of neonatal testing is that it is far less expensive than behavioural screening conventionally carried out at 7-9 months.
Experts say deafness in children is largely inherited and there are two types of hearing loss; conductive and sensorineural.
Problems in the outer ear, eardrum or the middle ear cause conductive loss but can often be corrected by medication or surgery.
Sensorineural loss indicates damage to the cochlea, (inner ear) auditory nerve or the auditory centres of the brain and although it cannot be medically remedied, patients benefit from hearing aids and cochlear implants.
/ENDS.

Sources: Great Ormond Street Hospital, League for the Hard of Hearing (www.lhh.org), Associated Press