Newborn Hearing Screening in NICUs across Alberta will soon be a reality!
Two to three infants per thousand are born with permanent congenital hearing impairment.
Early detection and intervention enables mitigation of deficits in speech and language, cognition, social, emotional, literacy, and academic skills.
Action is currently underway to select the most appropriate hearing screening protocol, tools and processes to support this screening program.
The first phase of the project will begin in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in Alberta, followed by hospital birthing sites and then community births. It is anticipated that the program will be operational in NICUs across the province in 2016.
Alberta Health’s investment in this program will enable all babies in Alberta to be screened and receive the benefits of early intervention.
