An estimated 1.1 million Iranian children were screened for hearing in the last year that ended in March and among the 5,000 who had some form of hearing impairment, 1,000 were found to be deaf. In the last decade, 6,000 children regained the ability to “hear” with cochlear implants, said Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpei, head of the State Welfare Organization. “Loss of hearing can affect a child’s ability to develop communication, language, and social skills. The earlier children with hearing impairment start getting treatment, the more likely they are to reach their full potential in auditory perception,” Alef News Agency quoted him as saying. “This year, we plan to increase coverage to 90% for newborns in screening for hearing.”
