On average 4/1000 babies born in India have some degree of hearing loss at birth. This number usually is much higher in babies who required NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) care.
As there are no clear indicators of hearing problems in newborn babies, parents may not be able to tell if their baby has difficultly hearing. Language learning is largely dependent on hearing. If hearing loss is not detected and treated early, it can poorly affect speech, language development. On the other hand, if babies born with hearing loss are identified early and provided with the treatment they have the opportunity to develop healthy speech, language, just like their peers.