A new Early Hearing Program at Penticton Regional Hospital has been screening all newborns for possible hearing loss.

The program has been available at PRH since May, and Quota Club International recently gave it a significant boost with a $37,000 donation.

About three to six of every 1,000 healthy infants have some level of hearing loss.

If babies can't hear well, they will likely have problems learning how to talk and developing language skills.

The hearing screenings are performed by a trained public health Hearing Screener and are simple and safe.

Soft clicking sounds are played into a baby's ears while a computer measures the baby's responses. The hearing screenings are usually done when the baby is sleeping or quiet.

Doctors say the first three years of a child's life is a critical window for the development of communication and social skills.

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