This new device may ‘break’ the silence among deaf Filipino babies

Everyday, dozens of Filipino babies are born with hearing impairments that often go unnoticed, not until it is too late. 

But soon enough, these babies would finally be able to hear their parent’s voices clearly for the first time.

Scientists from the University of the Philippines – Manila developed Hearing for Life (HeLe), the nation’s first-ever locally-made Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered device that can detect hearing problems in newborns automatically and in real time.

The nickname ‘HeLe’ was coined after the Filipino word hele, which translates to lullaby in English.

Hearing problems among infants are not rare. In fact, 90% of the current cases of HIV as per the Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center remain undiagnosed.

The HeLe device addresses this gap by combining biomedical engineering and machine learning through AI.

In connection towards the name, Dr. Philip B. Fullante, a co-investigator and research head for the UP Surgical Innovation and Biotechnology Laboratory (UP SIBOL), said that HeLe  “will ensure that no baby will grow up not hearing their parents’ loving voices.”

During screening, soft sound stimuli are delivered through earphones while small electrodes placed on the baby’s head record electrical signals from the auditory nerve and brain stem.

These signals, known as auditory brainstem responses (ABR), reveal whether the infant’s auditory system is functioning properly.

Furthermore, HeLe contains its own AI algorithm that can easily analyze the recorded signals in real time to determine if the child needs to undergo a follow-up evaluation.

This will also demonstrate its clinical reliability in clinic houses.

According to the researchers, the project aims to move forward towards full integration with all Newborn Hearing Screening Centers (NHSC) nationwide.

As HeLe moves toward progression, it carries the potential to transform newborn screening in the country, ensuring that hearing problems are detected not years later, but at the very start of a child’s life.

This way, babies may finally grow up hearing their parent’s gentle lullabies—and the silence would not be too loud.