Scientific research has shown that a baby's auditory system, even before birth, is capable of responding to noises perceived in the mother's womb. Of all the senses, hearing is, fundamentally, the sensory experience that facilitates communication and promotes social interaction, and is an essential aspect of human emotional and cognitive development.
Thus hearing loss can be an obstacle to education and social integration, especially if not diagnosed in the first months of life.
The World Health Organization estimates that, in childhood, almost 60% of cases of hearing loss are preventable, while diagnostic testing allows these conditions to be detected at the earliest possible stage.
"Research on the matter demonstrates that children who are born deaf or suffer hearing loss, but receive appropriate interventions within the first six months of life, by the age of five have acquired the same cognitive skills as those with normal hearing capacity.
"The purpose of Infantix, a neonatal screening system developed by the Center for Neurosciences of Cuba (Cneuro), is aimed precisely toward this end, allowing for early detection of hearing and vision disorders in infants," explained Ernesto Velarde Reyes, a telecommunications engineer and one of the project’s leaders, in an interview with Granma.
In Cuba's maternity hospitals, he reported, it is common for newborns to be administered this type of hearing test and, for this purpose, otoacoustic emission equipment, which is imported, is frequently used. However, none of the technologies developed around the world have incorporated visual screening in their equipment; Infantix has, he noted.
Another feature of the Cuban device is that its system is designed to support the attachment of different modules, depending on the test and signal recordings.
For example, he explained, for otoacoustic emission tests, the module comes equipped with an attachment housing microphones and speakers, given that the clinical analysis involves the device emitting a sound and recording its echo. This "rebound" provides information on the functioning of the entire middle and inner ear, and based on this data, Infantix performs an analysis and reports the results, explained Velarde Reyes.
In the case of visual evoked potential, he added, the subject receives a visual stimulus, a flash, and the Cuban screening system evaluates the brain's response to the stimulation. "In this way we can measure the optic nerve, from the retina to the part of the brain's cortex that performs visual processing."
According to the specialist, this type of screening can detect major visual pathway problems such as congenital cataracts or neuropathies of the visual nerve.
"In both visual and auditory evoked potentials, if the device detects any anomaly, it will indicate that the patient should be referred, either to repeat the test in coming weeks or to be attended directly by specialists; otherwise, it will indicate that the infant passed the test without problem.
The main goal of our work, he said, is to detect any hearing or visual disorder as early as possible; and in the specific case of hearing, the objective is that every newborn leaves the hospital with this test performed.
This goal, he explained, is conditioned by the fact that, as of six months of age, the areas related to language begin to form in the cerebral cortex. "If we are able to diagnose any problem opportunely and refer the patient for specialized care, that patient will experience normal development throughout his or her life."
In February 2019, Infantix was registered by the Center for State Control of Drugs, Equipment and Medical Devices to perform auditory screening, while the visual analysis method was approved for registration in April of 2020.
According to Velarde Reyes, the Ministry of Public Health is currently working on a national plan to introduce the equipment in health institutions and, although the COVID-19 situation has delayed the process, the device will be available in soon in all maternity hospitals.
The principal testing of the equipment, he added, was conducted at the Ramón González Coro Gynecobstetric Hospital in Havana, while other institutions and self-employed workers have also provided assistance, especially in issues related to technical printing and 3D modeling.
As part of the project's sustainability and the incorporation of new features, the specialist indicated that work is underway on adding a cardiovascular testing module to the equipment, which would undoubtedly provide more added value, since it would allow for early detection of alterations in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Another unique attributes of Infantix, he noted, is that technical personnel is not required to operate the device or read results. It is an intelligent system, with automatic analysis and processing capacity, and a user-friendly interface that makes interaction easy, he said.
"It is also based on our own methods, developed by Cneuro, which gives us a certain technological independence, since there is no need to import systems."
