A REVOLUTIONARY programme to screen the hearing of newborn babies in Southampton is celebrating its first birthday.

The Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP) at the central health clinic allows babies' hearing to be tested within days of birth - something that could not previously be done until they were six to eight months old.

Some 23 sites in England, including Southampton, piloted the scheme from December 2001 and the National Deaf Children's Society now believes that the test should be available to every parent in the UK by April 2004.

To celebrate NHSP's first anniversary a reception is being held at the House of Commons on Monday, December 2, hosted by Lord Ashley of Stoke on behalf of the National Deaf Children's Society and the Institute of Hearing Research, which is responsible for the project.

Some 90 per cent of deaf babies are born into families with no history of deafness and the majority of these parents have no knowledge of deafness so would not recognise signs of deafness in their child.

Early identification deafness has historically been poor in the UK with as many as 50 per cent of the 840 children born deaf every year still not being identified as deaf by 18 months.

The NHSP can be carried out in hospital or in a clinic by a screener or health visitor and is usually carried out when the baby is asleep.

A soft ear piece is put in the outer part of the baby's ear, which sends clicking sounds down the ear. When an ear receives sound the inner part usually produces an echo.

The screen will alert the screener to any need for further tests.

Susan Daniels, chief executive of the National Deaf Children's Society, said: "It is important that we seize this valuable opportunity to make a difference to deaf children by ensuring the NHSP is available to all parents by April 2004, and that all the support services are in place."