Babies’ ear health in safe hands

Kristel Bevan, Newborn Hearing Screener for Pennine Care and mum Althea Lyons with five week old baby Isla

Tens of thousands of newborn babies in the Rochdale Borough have benefited from a local hearing service that is celebrating its tenth birthday this month (May).

The Newborn Hearing Screening Service, which launched on 1 May 2003, is responsible for checking that a baby can hear clearly. They do this by carrying out a quick and reliable hearing test, usually within four weeks of a baby’s birth.

The test identifies babies who could potentially have a hearing impairment, who are then referred on to audiology services in Rochdale for further tests. If a permanent problem is diagnosed, the child will begin to receive care and support from a range of health professionals to ensure they have the best start in life. This includes audiologists, paediatricians, specialist teachers and speech and language therapists.

Hearing impairments in babies are rare. Of the 62,000 babies screened by the service since its launch, just over 160 have been identified as having a hearing impairment shortly after birth.

For this small minority of babies, it’s important that any hearing problems are identified early because, without the right support, it can have a significant impact on a child’s development.

Often families have no experience of deafness. By stepping in early, a range of health professionals can provide all the individual help and support a child and their family needs to overcome any barriers and reach their full potential.

Catherine Magee is the Programme Manager from Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the service. She said: "Over the last 10 years we have screened a huge number of newborn babies and the majority have had a clear hearing screen result.

"For those babies who have a hearing problem, our service is the first step in ensuring that they receive all the help and support they need to overcome any barriers and have the very best start in life.

"We are committed to continuing to deliver a high quality screening service for generations to come."

The service is offered to all babies born on the maternity wards at The Royal Oldham Hospital, where the service is based, and also at various clinics in Rochdale.

It’s important for parents to be aware that hearing problems can develop at any time during childhood, even if a baby has a clear response during the test. Parents should monitor their child’s hearing and speech development as they grow. Any concerns should be shared with their Health Visitor or GP, who can refer them on to audiology services if necessary.