Hearing impaired neonate: role of the paediatrician.

Electrophysiological screening of the hearing of newborn infants has demonstrated that hearing impaired infants can be successfully detected soon after birth. 1 There is much evidence to support the belief that the early fitting of hearing aids when needed (at less than 6 months of age) and guided early language stimulation can result in good outcomes in the language of deaf children. 2,3 The paediatrician and family doctor play key roles in ensuring these outcomes.