Get newborns checked for hearing: Prof Robert Briggs

Kozhikode: Prof Robert Briggs, otolaryngologist and the renowned cochlear implant surgeon, says early detection of hearing loss is crucial as it is the second largest common cause of disability in the country. He wanted the government agencies to make universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) mandatory so that all newborns get checked for hearing impairment. “Across the country, one in 1,000 children is having a hearing disability. If it is detected earlier, remedies should be taken according to the degree of disability. Cochlear implant helps a kid live like a normal child with all learning and other activities,” he pointed.

The cochlear implant device has to be fit for lifelong, but it would be far better than one spending the life indoors without schooling or other normal activities. “In Australia, there is remarkable change after the UHNS scheme has been introduced. Children can grow up as normal kids after taking medical assistance,” he explained. Prof Briggs lauded Kerala as the state tops in diagnosing and providing treatment to children with hearing loss through Sruthitharangam programme.

The advanced cochlear implant device fit at the back side of the ear stimulates the nerves and makes the person audible and comprehends. A clinical associate professor at the University of Melbourne, he has conducted more than 1,000 cochlear implant surgeries including a few in India. Prof Briggs was here to attend his first surgery at a private hospital in Kozhikode on November 19. He would also attend the ENT surgeons’ conference, ISOCON-2016.