Health professionals' readiness for infant hearing screening in Lagos, Nigeria

The authors set-out to ascertain the readiness of professional healthcare workers in Nigeria for the implementation of the country's new national health policy, which for the first time, seeks to address the impact of infant hearing loss on early childhood development through early detection and timely intervention. A cross-sectional survey of nurses and doctors showed that health professionals had positive attitudes towards early hearing detection but were limited in their knowledge about current possibilities with infant screening. The need for relevant/on-going professional education is indicated to effectively promote hearing screening services in early childhood.