The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in collaboration with researchers of Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D) has prepared a device which can detect hearing impairment early in young children.

The screening device works on an otoacoustic emission (OAE) principle. It can detect hearing in young children, which is very difficult for parents to know for newborns and toddlers. This innovative project has been funded by Indo-German Science and Technology Centre.

Experts say that the existing devices, which detect auditory capacity, are very expensive. They are priced at over Rs 3 lakh and can only be used by trained medical practitioners. But, the apparatus developed by AIIMS and the IIT-D researchers can be handled by a layman.

The researchers hope to give this device to the school teachers in villages so that they can administer such a test to all children in a class. If the device indicates 'no' signal then that child can be referred for an early treatment.