Hearing Tests for All Infants

As of the next Iranian year which begins in March, screening programs for newborns and infants will be launched in all hospitals across the country, said Ahmad Kousha, head of Non-Communicable Diseases Department at the Health Ministry. “In cooperation with the State Welfare Organization, we will check every newborn for hearing problems in order to start timely treatment,” he told IRNA. According to him, although hearing checks are currently done for newborns, the screening coverage across the country had not exceeded 64%. This is expected to reach 100% in the upcoming year. Annually, about 1,800 children are born with hearing impairment in Iran. About 2.9% are either deaf or severely impaired.