NCB Capital Markets Managing Director and current Chairman of the Jamaica Association for the Deaf, Chris Williams, with his wife Michelle (right), listen attentively to audiologist Angela Jean-Buchanan as she explains the procedure of the OAE test before it is administered to their two-month old son Zachary Williams. - Contributed

An estimated 16.2 per cent all of children between the ages of four to 10 years old in Jamaica have a hearing problem. A critical step to preventing hearing loss is early hearing screening of your new-born.

At its Thelma Tweedle Clinic, located at 9 Marescaux Road, the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD), offers a screening programme for new-born babies designed to identify infants who may have hearing loss at birth. The goal is to initiate early intervention, as children who are born with hearing loss may be deprived of the speech and language stimulation that is required to help them maximise their speech and language skills. This however may be prevented if the problem is detected at an early stage.

Early hearing screening of new-borns ensures that appropriate intervention strategies and referrals to professional and educational agencies are made if a hearing problem exists.

It is in this vein that Chairman of the JAD and managing director of NCB Capital Markets Christopher Williams, along with his wife Michelle, took the latest addition to their family, two-month-old Zachary to be screened.

Specialised hearing test

A specialised hearing test known as the Otoacoustic Emissions test (OAE) was used to assess the auditory functions in little Zachary. The procedure, which is appropriate for both adults and children, is painless and non-invasive. The OAE is a new procedure and essentially measures sounds emitted from the inner ear.

Currently, the tests are conducted by United Kingdom trained clinical and dispensing audiologist Mrs. Angela Jean-Buchanan. Mrs. Jean-Buchanan has extensive experience in paediatric diagnostic testing, rehabilitative audiology as well as lecturing in the hearing sciences.

The JAD is presently undertaking an islandwide new-born screening programme in which the OAE test will be used as the primary diagnostic tool.

Since early detection is a vital component in preventing hearing loss parents, guardians and other care-givers are being encouraged to have their wards screened by the JAD technicians using the OAE procedure.

Christopher and Michelle know that early screening is a vital step in ensuring that young Zachary has the best start in life. They encourage other parents and care-giving to have their new-borns screened at the JAD Clinic, using the OAE proceedure.