[Development of cognition, communication, and vocalization in hearing impaired infants fitted with hearing aids]

To study the characteristics of development of cognition, communication, and vocalization in congenitally hearing impaired infants with hearing aids.

Hearing aids were fitted to 39 congenitally hearing impaired infants: 20 of them were fitted with the hearing aids before the age of 8 months (Group A), and 19 of them after the age of 8 months (Group B). Digital video camera was used to record the action, communication, and vocalization of the children.

The time needed to be adaptable to the hearing aids of Group A was (0.5+/-0.2) months, significantly shorter than that of Group B [(2.2+/-0.3) months, P<0.01]. The time needed to establish communication by eyes was (0.6+/-0.2) months in Group A, significantly shorter than that in Group B [(2.3+/-0.5) months, P<0.01]. The time needed to present canonical babbling, communication by pointing behaviors, and meaningful words of Group A were (15.0+/-1.8) months, (12.1+/-2.1) months, and (17.3+/-2.2) months respectively, all stigmatically shorter than those of Group B [(23.2+/-8.0) months, (16.1+/-4.5) months, and (32.6+/-10.9) months respectively, all P<0.05)]. However, the time needed to present pre-canonical babbling of Group A was (4.3+/-0.5) months, not significantly different from that of Group B [(4.8+/-0.6) months, P>0.05].

Using the hearing aids early and validly helps acquire good development of cognizance and speech in hearing impaired infants.