Universal Infant Screening Program
CHHA-NL provides substantial donations to birthing hospitals across the Province to assist in the purchase of Otoacoustic Emissions testing unit (OAE) for newborns. This is part of CHHA-NL's goal to ensure that all children born in Newfoundland and Labrador will have their hearing tested as part of a Universal Infant Hearing Screening Program. Parents, in consultation with their hearing health professionals, can then decide on the best type of intervention for their children.
Donations to Birthing Hospitals
| Labrador Health Centre (portable OAE unit) |
| The Grenfell Foundation (portable OAE unit) |
| Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital (Clarenville) |
| Burin Peninsula Health Centre |
| Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre (Grand Falls-Windsor) |
| James Paton Memorial Hospital (Gander) |
| Western Memorial Regional Hospital (Corner Brook) |
| Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital (Stephenville) |
The 2008 donation to Labrador Health Centre. Present are (L-R): Fred Loxton, CHHA-HVGB; Dave Massie, CHHA-HVGB; Alison Day, CHHA-NL; Elizabeth Oguntuase, Labrador Health Centre; unknown; Kathleen Cabot, CHHA-HVGB; Joan Harron, audiologist - Labrador Health; Darren Buckle; Cyril Peach, CHHA-HVGB; Betty Parsons.
What are Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)?
Otoacoustic emissions are faint sounds produced by most normal inner ears. The sounds cannot be heard by people, but can be detected by very sensitive microphones that are placed in the ear canal. During testing, a tiny flexible plug is inserted into the baby's ear and sound is then projected into the ear through the plug. A microphone inside the plug records the otoacoustic emissions that the normal ear produces in response to the incoming sound. Testing is painless, takes about 5 minutes to complete, and can be done while the baby sleeps.
From www.hearingloss.org
Benefits of Early Hearing Detection
Infants identified with hearing loss can be fit with amplification by as young as 4 weeks of age. With appropriate early intervention, children with hearing loss can be mainstreamed in regular elementary and secondary education classrooms. Recent research has concluded that children born with a hearing loss who are identified and given appropriate intervention before 6 months of age demonstrated significantly better speech and reading comprehension than children identified after 6 months of age.
From www.hearingloss.org
CHHA-NL's 2006 donation went to the Discovery Health Care Foundation. Pictured above presenting the cheque is Myrtle Barrett, President of CHHA-NL, Shirley Stead, Chief Development Officer, Discovery Health Care Foundation, and Leon Mills, Executive Director, CHHA-NL
2007 donation to the Grenfell Foundation at the Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital (St. Anthony).
(L-R) Leon Mills, Executive Director, CHHA-NL; Alison Day, Coordinator of Outreach Services, CHHA-NL; Dr. K Arivind; Dr. K Dankwa.