New Delhi, Sep 24 - Over one million babies are born with hearing impairment every year in India but early intervention can help get rid of the problem, doctors here said Thursday.

In a panel discussion, doctors unanimously called for screening for deafness in newborns to be made compulsory across all healthcare facilities in the country.

'A deaf may not be dumb right from his or her birth. In our country, deafness in children is often also associated with dumbness. In reality, hearing impaired children do have the capability to learn and speak after birth, and often babble spontaneously,' said B.K Rao, chairman of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

'However, subsequently, they stop babbling and do not develop speech simply because they are unable to hear themselves and others around them. The unfortunate aspect is that hearing impairment in children often remains undetected, until the child is a few years old,' said Rao.

Ashish Lahiri, an ENT Surgeon, said: 'When deafness is not detected early and deaf children are not treated early, they will not develop speech.