This document provides a short overview of neonatal hearing screening in Western Europe. It discusses the incidence of congenital hearing loss, which affects approximately 1-6 per 1000 newborns. It also describes some of the equipment used for newborn hearing screening, including otoacoustic emissions testing and automated auditory brainstem response testing. The document reviews the status of neonatal hearing screening programs in several European countries in 2008, finding varying levels of screening coverage from under 1% to over 95%. It closes by emphasizing the importance of screening and early intervention to support children's development of communication skills.