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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Impact of newborn hearing screening: comparing outcomes in pediatric cochlear implant users
Birgit Philips1, Paul Corthals, Leo De Raeve
1ENT Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Birgit.Philips@UGent.be
Insights
Newborn hearing screening leads to earlier intervention for deaf children, improving speech and auditory skills. Early cochlear implantation is linked to better outcomes, especially when additional impairments are absent.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Genetics
Background:
- Newborn hearing screening programs are crucial for early detection of hearing loss in infants.
- Timely intervention significantly impacts the developmental trajectory of deaf children.
- Cochlear implantation (CI) offers a viable solution for profound hearing loss, but outcomes vary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effect of a newborn hearing screening program on the management and outcomes of deaf children.
- To identify factors influencing performance differences in children with cochlear implants (CIs).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 391 children with cochlear implants in Flanders, Belgium.
- Children categorized by screening age: early (n=195) vs. late (n=196).
- Speech perception and production skills evaluated in 355 children; high vs. low performing CI users compared.
Main Results:
- Early screening and implantation correlated with earlier detection and intervention ages.
- Children screened early demonstrated superior auditory receptive skills and speech intelligibility.
- Additional impairments negatively affected auditory and speech skills; oral communication and bilateral CIs improved speech production.
Conclusions:
- Newborn hearing screening facilitates earlier intervention for deaf children.
- Early intervention positively impacts auditory receptive skills and speech intelligibility.
- Factors like additional impairments and communication mode influence CI outcomes.
Objectives/Hypothesis:
To evaluate the impact of a newborn hearing screening program on the management and outcome of deaf children and to identify underlying factors that may be responsible for the differences between high and low performing implanted children.
Study Design:
Retrospective cohort study of 391 implanted children in Flanders (Belgium).
Methods:
First, implanted children were sorted into two groups on account of screening age (early screened, n = 195 vs. late screened, n = 196). Both groups were compared with respect to several variables. Second, outcome of cochlear implantation was measured in terms of the child's speech perception and production skills (n = 355). A subgroup of high performing cochlear implant (CI) users was compared with low performing CI users with regard to several variables.
Results:
Early screened children differ significantly from late screened children with respect to age of hearing loss detection and age at cochlear implantation. Furthermore, early screening and implantation is associated with better auditory receptive skills and speech intelligibility. Additional impairments negatively influence both receptive and productive skills. In addition, children who communicate orally and wear bilateral cochlear implants perform better on speech production, whereas a better speech perception was found in children who became progressively deaf as opposed to congenitally deaf children.
Conclusions:
The results of this extensive study of profoundly deaf children with CIs in Flanders indicate that a newborn hearing screening program results in earlier intervention in deaf children, which beneficially influences the auditory receptive skills and speech intelligibility.