Therefore, mandatory newborn hearing screening and early intervention is imperative. In Europe, North America and Australia, newborn screening for deafness is mandatory.'

Lahiri said in India over one million children are born every year with some kind of hearing impairment.

Doctors said research studies have shown that children diagnosed before six months, and who receive appropriate and consistent treatment, have significantly better language levels than children identified after this time period. They said deafness can be diagnosed as early as few hours after birth.

Speaking about treatment available, audiologist Asha Agarwal said: 'Hearing aids and cochlear implants are the treatment of choice, depending on the degree of hearing loss. The good part is an increasing number of parents in India are opting for early diagnosis and treatment for their young kids.'