The Province of Manitoba has initiated a universal hearing screening for newborn babies. Jackie Derksen, Regional Director of Rehabilitation Services in Southern Health Santé Sud, says the program will officially begin on the first day of September but the province has been working with all the RHAs to set up a soft launch in July and August. Derksen notes their audiologists have been part of the planning process, so Southern Health Santé Sud has been an active participant in the development and implementation of the program. She says their hearing screeners and audiologists have been very pleased with how things are starting to solidify in the program, adding they're working with the staff on the birthing units, Public Health nurses, and midwives. Derksen notes they've also been doing some active education with some of the groups that new moms might go to prenatally, so that they're aware of the universal newborn hearing screening.

She says if parents choose to participate in the process, a hearing screener will receive the referral from the unit staff and proceed to do the screening with the baby on the unit. Derksen adds if the baby and the mom have already been discharged, they can make arrangements to have the baby seen in an outpatient audiology clinic at one of the three regional sites: Portage District General Hospital, Boundary Trails Health Centre, and Bethesda Regional Health Centre. She notes the reason for the screening is to provide early detection of a congenital hearing loss, with the benefit of early intervention to improve the long term outcome.

Derksen says the hearing screener will have a short discussion with the parent and explain what's going to happen, then a small probe will be inserted into the outer part of the baby's ear to help determine if the baby is hearing sound or not. She notes Southern Health Santé Sud is excited to be able to offer this provincial program because they believe strongly in early intervention, adding the ability to do the screening will capture those babies who require additional support and assistance so they can develop in a healthy way through their early months and years.