According to international statistics, 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 newborns have hearing problems. Considering that approximately 138,000 children are born in Kyrgyzstan each year, this means that around 130 to 300 newborns may face congenital hearing impairments.
Munar Beyshenova, an ENT doctor at the National Center for Maternal and Child Health and the project manager for audiological screening, noted that it is important to determine the child's hearing status before they reach 6 months of age.
If the problem is not identified in time, it can lead to delayed speech development or even a complete halt in this process. Rehabilitation at a later age often proves to be complicated and not always effective.
The audiological screening program has been functioning in the country since 2017. Within its framework, newborns undergo initial examinations in maternity hospitals. If the initial screening is not passed, a follow-up examination is conducted within 7 to 30 days, as the cause may be temporary factors, such as the presence of fluid in the ears. In the case of repeated identification of problems, children are referred for in-depth diagnostics, including the study of ABR (Auditory Brainstem Response), which allows for an accurate assessment of hearing status and the initiation of necessary treatment.
After diagnosis, medical specialists develop an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan. For children with partial hearing loss, hearing aids are prescribed, and comprehensive rehabilitation is provided. In cases of complete deafness, the child is referred for cochlear implantation. These surgeries have been performed in Kyrgyzstan at the National Center for Maternal and Child Health since 2018, and now, thanks to support from Qatar, they are conducted free of charge. After the surgical intervention, children require prolonged recovery under the supervision of specialists.
Currently, audiological screening is conducted in some maternity hospitals in Bishkek, as well as in the Osh, Jalal-Abad, and Issyk-Kul regions. In regions where the necessary equipment is lacking, newborns are referred to the National Center for Maternal and Child Health for examination by audiologists through electronic referrals.
