PARTS of Wiltshire are being piloted to carry out hi-tech hearing tests on babies.

Health visiting staff of Wiltshire and Swindon Healthcare Trust, who work in Devizes, Chippenham and Malmesbury, are one of 20 organisations that have been picked to carry out the new tests.

The test involves placing a soft probe in the baby's ears while they are quiet and a microphone picks up an echo from the ear. The test is quick and painless and replaces the current distraction hearing test, which is done when the baby is seven to nine months old.

The new test is more accurate than the existing one.

Health visitors will begin testing babies between ten and 20 days old, usually in their own home.

Professor Philip Milner, Wiltshire Health Authority's director of public health, said: "About one baby in a thousand is born deaf. Identifying the deafness in the neonatal period provides the opportunity for them to get the specialist help and care they need as early as possible.

"Early identification provides significantly better language and social outcomes. This scheme will benefit children, parents and health staff."