According to international data, one to three out of every thousand newborns may face hearing problems. Considering that approximately 138,000 children are born in Kyrgyzstan each year, it can be assumed that 130-300 of them have congenital hearing impairments, the report notes.
Munar Beyshenova, an ENT doctor at the National Center for Maternal and Child Health and the project manager for audiological screening, emphasizes the importance of assessing hearing status in children before they reach 6 months of age.
Delayed detection of hearing issues can lead to speech development delays, and rehabilitation at an older age often proves to be more complex and less effective.
The audiological screening program began its work in Kyrgyzstan in 2017. In the first stage, newborns are examined in maternity hospitals; if the initial screening is unsuccessful, a follow-up examination is scheduled within 7-30 days, as there may be fluid in the ears or technical errors. If the repeat testing also raises doubts, the child is referred for in-depth diagnostics — an ABR test, which allows for an accurate assessment of hearing status and, if necessary, the initiation of treatment.
After the diagnostics are completed, specialists develop an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan. Children with partial hearing loss are provided with hearing aids and undergo comprehensive rehabilitation. In cases of complete deafness, children may be referred for cochlear implantation, which has been performed at the National Center for Maternal and Child Health since 2018 and is currently provided free of charge thanks to support from Qatar. After the operation, children continue to undergo rehabilitation under the supervision of medical professionals.
As of today, audiological screening is available in several maternity hospitals located in Bishkek, as well as in the Osh, Jalal-Abad, and Issyk-Kul regions. If the necessary equipment is not available in the region, newborns are referred to the National Center for Maternal and Child Health via electronic referral for examination by audiologists.
