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Updated: Aug 25, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Cochlear implantation in children under the age of two--what do the outcomes show us?
Ilona Anderson1, Viktor Weichbold, Patrick S C D'Haese
1Clinical Research Department, MED-EL Worldwide Headquarters, Innsbruck, Austria. ilona.anderson@medal.com
Insights
Early cochlear implantation (CI) in children under two shows significant benefits. Children implanted younger achieved faster improvements in speech perception and language skills compared to older children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- Otolaryngology
- Speech-language pathology
Background:
- Limited literature exists on cochlear implantation (CI) benefits for children under two.
- Previous surgical risks associated with CI in young children have been addressed.
- Defining the actual outcome benefits of early CI is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the outcomes of cochlear implantation in children under the age of two.
- To compare the outcomes of early CI recipients with those implanted at a later age.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the MED-EL International Children's study database.
- Included thirty-seven children who received cochlear implants before age two.
- Assessed outcomes using LiP, MTP tests, and MAIS, MUSS questionnaires pre- and post-implantation.
Main Results:
- Children implanted before age two showed significant score improvements over time.
- Faster improvement rates were observed in MTP and MUSS scores compared to older recipients.
- No significant difference in LiP and MAIS scores between early and later implanted groups.
Conclusions:
- Early cochlear implantation offers a distinct advantage for children with severe to profound hearing loss.
- Early CI is particularly beneficial for developing receptive and expressive language skills.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to confirm findings.
Objectives:
Literature that discusses the benefits of cochlear implantation (CI) in children under the age of two is limited. Previous concerns about surgical risk have been raised and addressed; however, actual benefit in terms of outcomes needs to be clearly defined. This study evaluates outcomes of children implanted under the age of two and compares them to children implanted at a later age.
Methods:
Data were reviewed from the MED-EL International Children's study database. Thirty-seven children enrolled in the study have received cochlear implants before the age of two. Outcomes were assessed using the LiP and MTP tests and the MAIS and MUSS questionnaires pre-operatively and then at initial fitting, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after first fitting and then annually thereafter.
Results:
Statistical analysis demonstrated that these children's scores improved significantly over time. Improvement was shown to occur at a quicker rate than for children implanted at an older age with the MTP and MUSS, but not with the LiP and the MAIS. Scores may be limited by sample size and the fact that children reached ceiling on some tests.
Conclusions:
Results suggest a distinct advantage early implantation may have for severe to profoundly hearing impaired children. This may be particularly the case for skills necessary for development of receptive and expressive language skills.