Hear the World Foundation helps push for Dominican infants

Sano Domingo.- TheHear the World Foundation is supporting a project in the Dominican Republicthat would introduce, over a five-year period, an infant hearing screeningprogram to detect congenital hearing impairment. The Foundation provided agrant to the Centro Cristiano de Servicios Medicos, Inc. for this project thatwill be based in Santo Domingo at Los Alcarrizos. A volunteer for the Hear theWorld Foundation will be traveling to Santo Domingo November 2-4 to conductpediatric fittings and on-the-ground training.

http://www.hear-the-world.com/uploads/pics/traumberuf-auf-trauminsel_1_300x200_03.jpgTheproject would provide a crucial service in the country where hearing loss ininfants is often undetected until the age of 18-24 months. Early detection iscrucial due to the fact that hearing impairment, if left untreated, can resultin delayed speech development and potentially a lack of speech overall.

The long-term planthat is designed to treat a minimum of 400 newborns with congenital hearingimpairment will require advanced training for the five audiologists currentlyin residence at the center, updated equipment, additional personnel to supportan increased number of screenings, and modern hearing equipment designed forinfants and young children.

This trip for theHear the World volunteer from Unitron Columbia, is coming in the first year ofthis sustainable, five-year program. Over this time, volunteers will help withfittings for newborns and training for locals who will conduct hearingscreenings when these volunteers are gone.

This specific projectis a newer project for the Hear the World Foundation, but the relationship withthe center is long-term– the Foundation first started working with CentroCristiano de Servicios Medicos, Inc. in 2010, and projects have provided grantmoney, training and the donation of hearing aids for children in need.

Elena Torresani, headof the Hear the World initiative, said: “We’re so grateful to have theopportunity to continue work with Centro Cristiano de Servicios Medicos on thisambitious program.”