Let’s preserve hearing of premature children, Ivano-Frankivsk

Premature babies are the most vulnerable and most difficult category of patients. From the first minutes of being in this world babies (sometimes so small that can easily fit on the palm) have to overcome many difficult trials and, literally, fight for the chance for a healthy life. Since the organs are not immature, children often suffer from serious complications such as damage of brain and central nervous system or chronic pulmonary disease. One more problem is dysfunction of hearing which leads to delay in speech development…

In Ukraine, out of 1,000 normal deliveries one child is born totally deaf and 2-3 children go deaf in the first year of life. Little premature children (almost 25,000 premature births each year) are at the highest risk, and for their future it is extremely important not to lose precious time to diagnose hearing disorder and treat it. Favorable conditions for further treatment depends only timely diagnosis.

The purpose of the project is to raise funds to purchase Otoread (manufacturer Interacoustics, Denmark), a modern ultra-sensitive device for screening of hearing function for Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Children's Hospital. Every year, 300 premature babies from across the region, including remote mountainous areas, receive treatment in the department of premature children in this medical facility. Early diagnosis of hearing in premature children in the regional hospital is the only way to detect the problem in time and prevent the development of deafness.

The device Otoread is the latest technology in screening of hearing function in infants and babies. An otoacoustic emission registration method is very sensitive, takes only 3-5 minutes, and can be used for mass screening of hearing function in children.

Once purchased for the Regional Children’s Hospital, the device will significantly improve the early detection and correction of hearing impairment in children, reduce the percentage of deafness, and increase the quality of life.

All together we have an excellent opportunity to join a very important project and help small children to hear and learn this incredibly polyphonic and colorful world full of good, light and joy!