The Sohum device
The Sohum hearing screening device is a highly proprietary, non-invasive, safe device to screen neonates for hearing impairment with high sensitivity and specificity and is specially designed for mass screening of neonates in resource-constrained settings. The Sohum product and care cycle are designed so that the needs of all key stakeholders like parents, pediatricians, maternity homes, and health care workers, are met. We envision sohum as a self-sufficient and sustainable business that works toward a large-scale and critical social cause. The unique business model links the child directly to Sohum certified audiologists for further care.
The technology
Sohum uses brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER or ABR) technology which is the gold standard in auditory testing and is recommended as the test of choice by the American Association of Pediatrics (US) and the National Health Services (NHS-UK). As of now, this technology is prohibitively expensive and inaccessible to underserved populations. Sohum uses this in an innovative way with an easy-to-use interface to meet the needs of the system. In addition to this, the sensitivity and specificity is improved through our novel algorithm.
Building awareness: Baby’s first-year wall calendar
A calendar that starts
when the baby is born
Flip a page as the baby grows one month older and pen in the dates. Use the stickers to mark dates that are important for the baby, on the calendar. The calendar can be given to parents of newborns. Parents are encouraged to hang the calendar in an accessible place in their home and to try the activities with the child as time allows.
Fun activities for playing
with the baby
Each month contains illustrated activity ideas that are fun for parents, caregivers, and infants. Each month contains activities that correspond to that age and stage of the baby. You can also add new dimensions to these activities and be creative! It is recommended that all activities are done when the child is rested, fed, and ready to play, and is done under close adult supervision.
Development milestones
for a growing baby
Researches show that more stimulation leads to better development of the baby, which is measured by the milestones they achieve. Each page of the calendar has child development milestones corresponding to that age. The parent can tick them off as the child achieves them. This information will help the child’s doctor understand their development better.
Aftercare
We see aftercare as a critical third step in our holistic process of Creating awareness > Screening > After care.
We have a unique expert network to assist our device. Every child tested positive will be referred to a Sohum certified after-care expert.
In this way, interventions will be ensured and measured with follow-ups.
To deliver appropriate and timely after-care, we are forming a network of specialists. Write to us at info@sohumforall.com. We will reach out to you with the next steps of registering you with the network and certifying you as a Sohum expert.
