NEWBORN babies in Darlington are being offered hearing tests in an initiative designed to ensure problems do not go undetected.

Babies are prone to illnesses such as German measles, which can affect their hearing from an early age. And some children inherit hearing impairments from their parents.

"If there are problems, the earlier we can diagnose them the better," said Darlington Primary Care Trust's head of clinical governance, Elizabeth Graham.

"We can then start treatment or fit hearing aids, which ensure the babies can hear as well as possible the noises they need to hear to develop properly.

"The benefits to language and speech are tremendous. To miss out on the early noises of childhood is to miss out a great deal and a lot or problems can be avoided later in life by detecting any problems early."

The National Health Service Newborn Baby Hearing Screening Programme is being offered to babies seven days a week in the Darlington area.

Trained staff, working with the nurses, are already testing newborn babies at the maternity unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital and the midwifery-led unit in Bishop Auckland.

The service is also being offered on an outpatient basis to children who are not seen in hospital or who are born at home. Health staff will also make home visits.

"If parents feel they have missed out on the screening and have concerns, they shouldn't worry about it," said Mrs Graham.

"Simply let your GP, midwife or health visitor know and parents will be put in touch with the service."

A spokesman for the screening service said: "Babies whose hearing is not screened before being discharged and any home births will be offered the screening on an outpatient basis.

"Likewise, babies whose screening is not completed before they leave the delivery unit will be given an outpatient appointment.

"We have spoken to many groups of health visitors but are aware we have not reached everyone and are happy to speak to anyone who is interested."

The service is the latest in a national mass-screening programme for a variety of conditions, including cervical cancer and diabetes.