Newborn babies in the region are being given hearing screenings in hospital.
The service is being offered to babies born at maternity units on Teesside, County Durham, and in the Hambleton and Richmondshire areas.
Co-ordinators Sarah Whitaker and Barbara York and their team of 25 have, so far, screened 5,000 babies.
They are offering the service to all babies born at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, Northallerton's Friarage Hospital, the University Hospital of North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Stockton's University Hospital of North Tees and the University Hospital of Hartlepool.
They also offer hearing screening at the two midwifery-led units at Guisborough and Bishop Auckland.
Each baby's result is recorded in the baby book they receive at birth. Babies whose hearing is not screened before going home and any home births will be offered screening on an outpatient basis.
Ms York said: "The service is now fully up and running.
"This has been quite a task but an important and necessary one both for reassuring parents their babies hearing is normal and making sure newborn babies with hearing problems are given the necessary care and treatment as quickly as possible."
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