AAR Hospital has introduced Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) tests for newborns, joining a host of other healthcare institutions offering the service targeted at early detection of potential hearing complications.
Similar services are offered by Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital, the Nairobi Hospital, Nairobi West Hospital among others.
ENT tests are becoming popular among newborns amid concern that children who have hearing loss, may not learn speech and language compared to their peers who can hear. For this reason, medics recommend detection of hearing loss as early as possible.
"These tests ensure early diagnosis of congenital hearing loss or other ENT-related problems, which, if left untreated, can affect speech, language development and overall cognitive growth. Early intervention greatly improves a child's developmental outcomes and quality of life," said Dr Ian Macharia, an ENT specialist at AAR Hospital.
AAR Hospital said it will conduct ENT screening on all newborns delivered at its main health facility in Kiambu.
"Typically, newborn hearing screening is easier to treat and more affordable. However, late diagnosis are more costly and complex," Dr Wakonyo Gicheru, AAR Hospital's senior pediatrician said.
The ENT tests include newborn hearing screening using Otoacoustic Emissions or Auditory Brainstem Response tests, to detect hearing loss. If hearing loss is confirmed, interventions may include hearing aids, cochlear implants, or early intervention programmes.
On the other hand, treatment for middle ear infections, such as otitis media, may include antibiotics or minor surgery, such as insertion of a tympanostomy tube.
Any identified structural anomalies, such as cleft palates or narrow ear canals, are referred for specialised surgical care.
In Kenya, approximately one in every 1,000 newborns suffers from hearing loss, and ENT infections are among the leading causes of childhood morbidity. Despite this prevalence, access to early screening and diagnostic services remains limited.
According to the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the most important time for a child to learn language (spoken or signed) is in the first 3 years of life, when the brain is developing and maturing.
The institute says that children with typical hearing begin learning speech and language in the first 6 months of life.
“This is why it is so important to screen and start interventions for hearing loss as early as possible. Research shows that children with hearing loss who get help early develop better language skills than those who don’t” NIDCD said.
