Miss-Delectable
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Pioneering Scheme Helping Deaf Babies (from Thisisbradford)
Deaf babies are getting a better start in life thanks to a pioneering screening programme which is celebrating its first birthday.
A prime example of the work done at the Airedale Hospital unit is Adal Shakil.
The one-year-old was born profoundly deaf but, thanks to Airedale's screening initiative, the problems were quickly picked up and he was seen by a specialist before he was a month old.
He was then fitted with digital hearing aids at four months, greatly improving his hearing of voices and other sounds.
Adal was back at the Steeton hospital recently to have new fittings for his equipment.
Mother Tazeem said: "The new-born hearing programme had just started the week before Adal was born and so identified problems with his hearing very quickly. It is much better for me and Adal because we got to know sooner and I can get the help and support I need."
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The scheme has screened more than 2,000 local babies within days of birth since it started a year ago.
The Bradford education team visits families of deaf youngsters within two days of diagnosis to give them support and information. There is also a baby and toddler group held in the area and other support networks such as the National Deaf Children's Society.
A paediatrician and an ear, nose and throat consultant will also arrange to see the child and the audiology department will see a baby every two to three weeks during the early stages of using hearing aids and diagnosis.
Airedale's hearing screening programme received top marks during a national assessment. It found every baby had been offered the screening, with 85 per cent taking place while the baby was still in hospital after the birth.
The programme has detected three children with hearing difficulties in the area that may not previously have been picked up until much later.
Janet Whitaker, hearing screening co-ordinator at Airedale Hospital, said: "We have worked very hard to achieve this success and the three children identified with hearing loss show how valuable this programme is because they are now able to get a diagnosis and treatment very quickly.
"So much can be done to help hearing loss in babies. Now these babies can even have a hearing aid fitted as early as six weeks of age.
"As a parent, it is so important, too, that you can get advice and support right from the start."
Deaf babies are getting a better start in life thanks to a pioneering screening programme which is celebrating its first birthday.
A prime example of the work done at the Airedale Hospital unit is Adal Shakil.
The one-year-old was born profoundly deaf but, thanks to Airedale's screening initiative, the problems were quickly picked up and he was seen by a specialist before he was a month old.
He was then fitted with digital hearing aids at four months, greatly improving his hearing of voices and other sounds.
Adal was back at the Steeton hospital recently to have new fittings for his equipment.
Mother Tazeem said: "The new-born hearing programme had just started the week before Adal was born and so identified problems with his hearing very quickly. It is much better for me and Adal because we got to know sooner and I can get the help and support I need."
Advertisement continued...
The scheme has screened more than 2,000 local babies within days of birth since it started a year ago.
The Bradford education team visits families of deaf youngsters within two days of diagnosis to give them support and information. There is also a baby and toddler group held in the area and other support networks such as the National Deaf Children's Society.
A paediatrician and an ear, nose and throat consultant will also arrange to see the child and the audiology department will see a baby every two to three weeks during the early stages of using hearing aids and diagnosis.
Airedale's hearing screening programme received top marks during a national assessment. It found every baby had been offered the screening, with 85 per cent taking place while the baby was still in hospital after the birth.
The programme has detected three children with hearing difficulties in the area that may not previously have been picked up until much later.
Janet Whitaker, hearing screening co-ordinator at Airedale Hospital, said: "We have worked very hard to achieve this success and the three children identified with hearing loss show how valuable this programme is because they are now able to get a diagnosis and treatment very quickly.
"So much can be done to help hearing loss in babies. Now these babies can even have a hearing aid fitted as early as six weeks of age.
"As a parent, it is so important, too, that you can get advice and support right from the start."