Nearly one in two babies does not pass a hearing screening test

The Quebec Newborn Hearing Screening Program (PQDSN) has been in place for nine years. A year ago to the day, on May 11, 2021, the National Assembly adopted a unanimous motion urging the government to complete its deployment by the end of 2021.

However, it is clear that one year later, we are at about the same point: 47% of babies in Quebec still do not pass a screening test for deafness at birth, that is 37,861 newborns out of 80,145.

Only 20 institutions currently offer the program. Some regions such as Côte-Nord, Nord-du-Québec, Saguenay or Outaouais are not served at all.

The Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec is calling on the government to show leadership in this matter. According to the organization, some hospitals already have the necessary equipment without using it. The nurses or nursing assistants who carry out the tests must pass a small training to be able to carry out the screening.

Screening for hearing loss in newborns is simple and time-consuming [15 minutes]. Delays cannot be solely attributable to COVID-19 or labor shortages. The statistics of the other Canadian provinces illustrate this very well.says President Paul-André Gallant.

In British Columbia, 97% of babies are screened at birth. In Ontario, this percentage is over 94%.

” Someone has to carry the case and care about it! »

The office of the Minister for Health and Social Services, Lionel Carmant, says that over the next year, nearly 8,000 additional newborns will have access to screening. We are continuing the implementation work in several regions in order to offer the PQDSN to all newborns. It is important to note that all babies with one or more deafness risk factors are recommended for screening.

Without such screening, deafness often goes undetected at birth. Yet it is the second most common disorder in children. Every year, four to six out of every 1,000 babies are born with hearing loss. More than 90% of babies born with hearing loss have hearing parents, who therefore do not suspect this possibilitysays Paul-André Gallant.

53% of babies in Quebec take a hearing test at birth.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jonathan Lamothe

Development impact

This is what happened to little Vincent born at the hospital in Chicoutimi. Her parents had no hearing problems. Even at that, Lily Gilot doesn’t recall being asked about a history of deafness when her son was born.

I started having doubts around the age of one, because he had extreme behaviors: he was banging his head on the walls, he was trying to communicate with us, but we didn’t understand, we had to shout to let him react, he was also screaming. There were no half measuresshe says.

She first considered intellectual disability, or autism spectrum disorder.

It was finally around the age of two that he took his first hearing tests, recommended by a speech therapist friend. I see myself, in the cabin, my baby sitting on me, who did not react to any sound stimulus and there I immediately understoodsays Lily Gilot.

According to Paul-André Gallant, the slope is more difficult to climb for a child like Vincent.

Vincent has been wearing a hearing aid since he was 2 years old.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jonathan Lamothe

Hearing is a precursor first of all to language and to all of the child’s socialization. It is important to know that a baby is hard of hearing as soon as he is born because his whole development is compromised afterwards.he explains.

” Vincent had a big period of behavioral regression, during which he was accompanied by a specialized educator, where he stopped eating, where he refused to wear his devices. The world had just entered his head, it upset him. »

Now nine years old, Vincent leads an almost normal life with his hearing aids, but a birth screening would have given him and his family a less perilous journey.