Newborns must be screened for hearing- Audiologist

A Deputy Chief Audiologist at the Hearing Assesment Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Mrs Jemima Fynn, has appealed for the implementation of a universal newborn hearing screening.

She expalained that the resources neede to conduct such exercises were not as expensive as the cost of treating hearing loss. 

Mrs Fynn noted that if such a policy was implemented, it would reduce the number of cases of hearing loss in children.

She said currently, with the exception of a few cases where some newborns were referred for hearing assessments, most newborns were not checked for hearing after birth.

Mrs Fynn, who spoke to The Mirror last Tuesday as part of an advocacy campaign to mark this year’s World Hearing Day, stated that in most instances, caregivers only reported to health facilities when their two or three-year olds showed signs of delayed speech, by which time the condition might have worsened.

“Usually from one year upwards, infants begin to pick up a few words and sounds from their immediate environment, so parents only become worried when after two years their children are not able to speak as they are expected to.

“Most of such cases are referred to hearing assessment centres which are only available in tertiary hospitals, and sometimes parents have to travel miles to these centres.

“It is a relief to note that about 60 per cent of childhood causes of hearing loss are preventable, only if we put these precautionary measures in place,” she explained.

High cost of treatment

Mrs Fynn cited that in 2019 for instance, out of a total of 237 children who underwent Auditory Steady-State Response Test (ASSR), a diagnostic hearing assessment, 130, representing 54.9 per cent, showed varying degrees of hearing loss, with the majority being in the severe-profound category (advanced).

She said interventions for these children, such as hearing aids, cochlear implants and assistive devices, were expensive and most families could not afford them.

“Research showed that at age five, children who were implanted or given a hearing aid at an early stage were comparable to children without hearing loss.

If these children were screened at birth and the problems were detected, treatment would have started a long time and by now, we would have made progress or completely resolved the situation.

“Occasionally, donors come to our aid. One of our established donors, Starkey Hearing Foundation, has helped over 2,000 patients in Ghana but for over two years now, we have not had any donors, so there’s a long list of patients waiting for support,” she stated.

Excessive use of earphones

The audiologist also advised the public, particularly young people, to limit the use of headphones and ear buds as prolonged use of those devices increased a person’s risk of developing hearing loss.

The risk of developing hearing loss, she explained, continued to increase as a result of exposure to noise in recreational settings, as well as personal audio devices.

She explained that exposure to loud sounds such as those from the use of personal audio devices at high volumes and for prolonged periods of time, as well as regular attendance to concerts, nightclubs, bars and sporting events could contribute to hearing loss.

She also cautioned against the frequent use of cotton buds and other materials to clean wax in one’s ears.

“Introducing foreign objects into your ears only increases your chance of infections as you are likely to destroy the structures in the ear.

The cotton buds only push wax backwards. If you feel any discomfort in your ear, report to a health facility for assessment rather than introduce foreign material in your ears," she advised.

She explained "the wax is a natural protection of the ear.

It is supposed to block insects and dust that enter your ear when it becomes too much; and there is a professional way of getting rid of it without introducing any infections”.

World Hearing Day

World Hearing Day is marked globally on March 3 each year for advocacy on matters of prevention and finding solutions to people with hearing impairment.

This year’s celebration was themed: “Don’t let hearing loss limit you, hearing for life.”