HEALTH chiefs in Warrington are to champion a pioneering pilot project to perform hearing tests on newborn babies.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Public Health Minister Yvette Cooper. The town is one of just 20 sites chosen nationally.

Every baby born at Warrington Hospital will undergo the new tests, performed within a few days of birth, rather than wait for a less sensitive test normally performed after seven or eight months.

Around one in 1,000 children each year is diagnosed as suffering from a hearing impairment and it is expected that approximately four children annually will benefit from the new tests in Warrington, with more than 800 being helped nationally.

Dr Wanda Neary, consultant community paediatrician (audiology), said: "We are very excited by the announcement and are absolutely delighted as we have been working towards this for three years.

"It means we will be able to identify children with hearing impairments very soon after birth."

By spotting the problems at an early stage, Dr Neary says the child can receive immediate treatment to help its speech and communication.

Without this early help, it may go on to suffer emotional difficulties, have problems at school, and may have a wider effect on the rest of its family.