New national recommendations for detecting and treating hearing loss in young children

From the Directorate of Health's announcement:

The earlier a hearing loss is recognised and treated, the greater the opportunity for the child to reach their maximum potential. Untreated hearing loss can have serious consequences for communication, especially articulation, cognitive function, behaviour, socio-emotional development and learning. The period 0-3 years is crucial for a child's language development, says
Johan Torgersen, Divisional Director in the Specialist Health Services Division.

The guidelines consist of a number of recommendations for hearing testing, treatment and follow-up of children with risk factors for hearing loss as well as children with proven hearing loss. It is the responsibility of the responsible paediatrician to ensure that children at risk of developing hearing loss are referred for audiological follow-up in a department with paediatric audiological expertise.

The guidelines are freely available in reader-friendly format at the health directorate's website.