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Delay in NHS hearing tests mean deaf babies are not being spotted
Anna Davis and Sophie Goodchild24.11.08
HUNDREDS of parents do not realise their babies are deaf because they are not given hearing tests, it was revealed today.
Many children are not diagnosed until they are toddlers, delaying development and putting emotional health at risk.
Babies in London get the worst hearing care in the country, with half of all newborns missing out on tests which should be given to every child.
Parents whose children are diagnosed with hearing problems also face unacceptable delays and problems getting help, an NHS report found.
All babies should be given a hearing test before they are four weeks old as part of a screening programme introduced in 2006. If problems are detected they should then get an appointment with an audiologist and follow up tests.
But a report into the screening programme in London found many were missing out. In the last year alone 140 children should statistically have been diagnosed as deaf, but only 72 cases were reported. The report said: "The risks are that maybe 60-70 deaf children per year are missed and have reduced life chances."
The National Deaf Children's Society called today for an overhaul of the system. Suzanne Sibillin, director for London, said: "The NHS must take urgent action to ensure that all newborn babies in London benefit from screening and the appropriate aftercare."
One in every 842 babies is born with permanent hearing difficulties. Late diagnosis can lead to major problems. An undiagnosed deaf child aged three will only know 25 words, compared to 700 for a hearing child.
Across London only 11 of the 31 primary care trusts hit the target for screening 98 per cent of babies. Most parents then had to wait more than six weeks for follow-up tests. The report criticised the leadership of London's screening programme as not "fit for purpose".
Andre Ferguson, 28, began running a support group for deaf children in Peckham after his daughter Azara, two, was diagnosed as deaf at the age of 18 months. He said: "The system did not work for me at all. There is no support whatsoever. I now deal with 200 families with deaf children and see the problems first hand."
London's chief nurse Trish Morris-Thompson said: "We welcome [this report] as it gives us a clear picture of where we are so we can move forward."
'It took 12 months for my daughter to be diagnosed'
WHEN Polly Burton's daughter was born five years ago she thought everything was perfect.
But when Isabella failed to start babbling and did not react to noise she knew there was a problem.
It took 12 months before Isabella, who was not screened for hearing problems as a newborn, was formally diagnosed as deaf.
Tests revealed it was due to a genetic problem. So when Ms Burton, from Brixton, gave birth to her second child Rosa at St Thomas' hospital, she believed she would get better treatment.
But despite being told Rosa had a one in four chance of being deaf, she was still not given a hearing test. Ms Burton said: "I rang the audiology department explaining the situation. They said I would receive a letter within 12 weeks.
"She not only missed the newborn hearing test but she wasn't then made a priority."
After demanding an earlier appointment Rosa was diagnosed as being deaf and now wears hearing aids. Isabella is five years old and has a cochlear implant. Both can now hear, but Isabella's speech is two years behind that of hearing children her age.
Ms Burton, a textile designer, said: "The whole system is not up to scratch. It is a postcode lottery."
Reader views (5)
Take a bell and ring it next to a baby????
Please don't listen to expert knowledge as such. And please don't insult in the intelligence of many years of research and development into hearing assessment in this young population.
London has a very high DNA rate to outpatient screening appointments for those that miss screening at hospital. Following unadvised comments as Katrina above will only worsen the situation.
- Katie, London
The whole point of introducing newborn hearing screening was to make sure that deafness in children is identified as early as possible and help is offered promptly so that every child is given the best chance in life and every family is supported rather than left anxious and at a loss. If a child will benefit from hearing aids or cochlear implants, then the earlier they are provided, the better it is for their social development and learning. The NHS in London is clearly failing miserably on both counts – failing to identify and failing to help -and needs to take action now to put things right.
- Angela King, Senior Audiologist For Rnid, London
An intensley ignorant comment. I am the father of a 'profoundly deaf child'. My daughter had the newborn screening (OAE) in a London hospital which suggested all was well. As time went on, she did not start babbling but would react to some sounds. As it turns out (we discovered when she was 18 months old) that she has a rare 'condition' called Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder. To all intents and purposes she is deaf - she has no language and no meaningful sound. That said, she reacts to noises around the home. She hears everything as distortion and, even then, only when it is very loud. Even profoundly deaf children with a sensoneural or conductive hearing loss react to some sound, to to suggest that it is as simple as ringing a bell is ridiculous - you clearly have very little understanding of the nature of hearing loss.
There are around 60 children a year diagnosed with ANSD in this country.
Deafness is not a simple condition and your comments are both wrong and unhelpful.
- Christopher, London
Depending on the type of deafness that is not a true statement. Many cases of hearing impairment are not picked up due to the type of screening used at the newborn hearing test.
- Claire, London
You take a bell and when you change your baby you just ring it next to the baby. If the child reacts in some way (frightens or is surprised) you know it is not deaf. If it does not react at all you take it to the doctor. Test done.
- Katrina, Berlin, Germany
