Sohum: India’s Low-Cost Newborn Hearing Screening Device Changing Lives

India has developed its own indigenously designed newborn hearing screening device, Sohum—a major step forward in accessible healthcare innovation.

The device has been developed by Sohum Innovation Labs India Pvt. Ltd, a start-up from the School of International Bio-design (SIB). SIB is supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Sohum is a unique, low-cost hearing screening device that uses Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER)—the gold standard in newborn hearing testing—to detect hearing response in infants. Until now, this technology has been expensive and largely inaccessible.

Sohum makes this advanced technology suitable for resource-constrained settings and aims to reach nearly 26 million babies born every year in India.

Why Early Hearing Screening Matters

Congenital hearing loss is one of the most common birth disorders and may result from genetic or non-genetic factors. It is especially prevalent in developing countries like India, where early diagnosis is often missed due to limited access to healthcare.

When hearing impairment is detected after the age of four, it is usually too late to reverse the damage. This can lead to serious consequences such as delayed speech, impaired communication skills, and even mental health challenges—impacting the child emotionally and economically for life.

Globally, nearly 800,000 hearing-impaired babies are born each year, with around 100,000 cases in India alone. Most of this can be prevented with early screening and timely intervention.

How Sohum Works

The portable Sohum hearing screening device measures auditory brain waves using three electrodes placed on the baby’s head. When stimulated, these electrodes detect electrical responses generated by the brain’s auditory system. If there is no response, it indicates potential hearing loss.

Sohum is a battery-operated, non-invasive device, meaning babies do not need to be sedated—unlike many existing testing methods, which can be risky.

Another key advantage is its patented, in-built algorithm that filters out ambient noise during testing. This is particularly useful in crowded and noisy healthcare environments.

Making Hearing Care Accessible

The device has already been installed in five clinical centres where newborn hearing screening programmes are underway. The initial goal is to screen at least 2% of hospital-born babies in the first year.

By making early detection affordable and accessible, Sohum has the potential to transform newborn healthcare in India. This would also and prevent lifelong disabilities caused by undiagnosed hearing loss.