The Newborn Hearing Screening Program (NHSP)
Every year Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres, with the assistance of public health nurses, monitor the births of 10,000 Nova Scotians and determine who is "at risk" for hearing loss. When an infant with a risk factor is identified, they are referred for a hearing screening at Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres in their local hospital. The baby may have more testing based on the results of the first screening.

Why is Newborn Hearing Screening Important?
Every year there are 1 to 6 per 1000 children born with permanent hearing loss to a degree that it interferes with speech, language, cognitive, emotional, and social development. When children are identified through screening programs at birth, our goal is to provide a diagnosis and begin intervention as soon as possible.