平特五不中

The Coaliton urges Quebec to create a universal program that would benefit all babies no matter where they are born

The Qu茅bec Coaliton for Newborn Hearing Screening congratulates the CHU Ste-Justine and the 平特五不中 Health Centre (MUHC). Both are launching newborn hearing-screening programs.

鈥淭his is terrific news for babies born and treated at Ste-Justine鈥檚 and born at the MUHC鈥檚 Royal Victoria Hospital and treated at the MUHC鈥檚 Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital,鈥� says Dr. Hema Patel, co-chair of the Coalition and a pediatrician at The Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital. 鈥淗owever, the Coalition continues to urge the Quebec Minister of Health and Social Services to launch a universal program so that all Quebec newborns can benefit from a screening program. Right now, these major health centers are able to provide this service, thanks to the generosity of their foundations and donors. But we are essentially creating two-tiers of health care. All Quebec children deserve the same level of care.鈥�

Province-wide, a universal newborn hearing screening program would cost Quebec approximately $5 million/year in the first few years (to support the necessary building of infrastructure, including equipment). These costs include all the necessary expenditures from screening to intervention. INSPQ鈥檚 Expert Task Force estimates that this financial investment will create a net benefit of 1.6 million per year to our society.

鈥淣ewborn hearing screening is essential. A simple, inexpensive test is able to detect profound hearing loss or a hearing deficit in newborns. This allows us to treat these children early allowing them to learn to talk and live completely normal lives,鈥� says Dr. Harvey Guyda, Executive Director of the Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital. 鈥淔or this reason, both The Children鈥檚 and the Royal Victoria Hospital approached their foundations asking them to invest $300,000 to launch a screening program at The Vic and a screening program and treatment program at The Children鈥檚.鈥�

Hearing loss is the most common birth defect affecting 1 to 3 of every 1000 newborns. Yet in Qu茅bec, newborns don鈥檛 have their hearing tested. Early detection and treatment of hearing loss makes an enormous difference in the lives of the hearing impaired.

When an infant鈥檚 hearing loss is detected late, the hearing impairment could lead not only to an inability to communicate using speech, but could also lead to developmental delay that will impact on the child's ability to learn and to become a productive and happy citizen. In the end, this will end up costing society as the child will require special education and may need income support due to poor employability.