Programme launched to find deafness in babies

Press, 9 October 1982, Page 26

Programme launched to find deafness in babies

PA Wellington A national programme is being launched to identify babies with hearing difficulties as soon after birth as possible. The Health Department has asked doctors and nurses engaged in obstetrics and neonatal care to check all newborn babies for deafness. The director of the health promotion division. Dr C. Begg, said that most infants with severe hearing loss have been shown by studies to fall into a high risk group identifiable by six factors. About 40 babies a year were born with profound deafness, Dr Begg said. The sooner these children were identified, the more they could be helped. Hearing aids could be fitted within the first few months with great benefit to the child.

The rate of identifying

deafness in infants before the end of the first year had been only 10 per cent until recentiv.’he said.

"We now have the technical ability to diagnose deafness within hours of birth, however, the instruments are expensive and are not available throughout New Zealand.

"A trial is being conducted at Middlemore Hospital in which all newborn babies are being tested by this means.

"In other countries, babies with one or more of the risk factors are tested before leaving the maternity hospital.

“If the equipment is not available, the fact should be noted in the Health Development Record, and the parents and the family doctor made aware of the need for audiological tests to be carried out in the first vear

of life.” Dr Begg said. A large wall chart listing the risk categories had been prepared for use in all obstetric units, and medical practitioners had been encouraged to identify infants at risk.

Then tests could be arranged and hospitals were being asked to see that this was done, he said.

“The programme must become procedure." It has the backing of the hearing committee of the Board of Health and is in line with recommendations in the board's recently released child health report on early detection and better management of any handicap." he said.

"We hope the programme will be under way by the beginning of November." said Dr Begg.