A new initiative called the NHS New-born Hearing Screening Programme is to be implemented across England and will give parents the opportunity to have their newborn babies screened for hearing soon after their birth.

The tests will check babies' hearing using equipment that measures how well their ears respond to sound. The possibility of hearing impairments or deafness being missed at birth will be significantly reduced by this plan. It means that hearing will be tested far earlier than is the case with the traditional and less reliable Infant Distraction Test.

"Over 1,000 babies are born each year in England with deafness or hearing loss in one or both ears," said Professor Adrian Davis, director of the screening programme. "It is essential, therefore, that this is identified early. The programme does just that, enabling parents to access the appropriate support for their babies as quickly as possible."