Tartous Children’s Hospital expands early hearing screening services
Tartous, Sept. 15 (SANA)The hearing screening clinic at the Children’s Hospital inTartouscontinues to provide hearing screening, testing and diagnostic services for children, with the aim of detecting hearing loss at an early stage and enabling timely intervention, particularly for newborns and children with risk factors.
Dr. Yousr Ahmad, the physician overseeing the clinic, told SANA on Monday that the clinic receives between 15 and 30 patients daily and serves children from Tartous province and other areas.
She said the clinic is equipped with otoacoustic emission (OAE) testing systems and screening and diagnostic auditory brainstem response (ABR) systems, adding that early hearing screening is especially important for children with risk factors.
These factors include premature birth, a family history of hearing loss, genetic disorders and congenital abnormalities, Ahmad said.
Audiologist Yazan Ghanem explained that the otoacoustic emission test is safe, painless and takes only a few minutes. The test measures the response of the cochlea’s hair cells to sound stimuli.
Ghanem said the recommended time for initial screening is within the first month of life, while a definitive diagnosis should be reached by the age of three months according to the applicable protocol.
He noted that failing the initial screening does not necessarily indicate hearing loss, as fluid or temporary blockage in the ear, as well as surrounding noise, may affect the results.
The test is therefore repeated, and if a child does not pass the repeat screening, an ABR screening test is conducted, followed by diagnostic ABR testing when required, he said.
Ghanem added that early detection and regular follow-up provide children with a better opportunity to develop hearing, language and communication skills.
Hearing screening is among thehealthcareservices provided for children and aims to identify hearing disorders at an early stage, especially among newborns, helping ensure timely diagnosis, follow-up and appropriate treatment and rehabilitation.