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Update on bone-anchored hearing aids in pediatric patients with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss
Lisa Christensen1, Gresham T Richter, John L Dornhoffer
1Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, 72202, USA. christensenlv@archildrens.org
Insights
Bone-anchored hearing aids (Bahas) significantly improve hearing in noise and reduce listening difficulties for children with single-sided deafness. This study shows Bahas are a durable and effective treatment option for profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Audiology
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Single-sided deafness (SSD) presents significant challenges in sound localization and speech comprehension, particularly in noisy environments.
- Bone-anchored hearing aids (Bahas) offer a potential solution by bypassing the middle and outer ear to stimulate the cochlea directly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of bone-anchored hearing aids (Bahas) in improving auditory function for children diagnosed with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
- To assess the impact of Bahas on speech perception in noise and self-reported listening difficulties.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective chart review was conducted over 3 years at a pediatric hospital.
- Twenty-three children (mean age 12.6 years) with SSD underwent two-stage Baha surgery with osseointegration.
- Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) and Children's Home Inventory for Listening Difficulties (CHILD) scores were compared pre- and post-Baha activation.
Main Results:
- Post-implantation, mean HINT scores showed substantial improvement across all tested signal-to-noise ratios.
- CHILD questionnaire scores indicated significant reductions in listening difficulties for both patients and parents.
- Both younger children and teenagers experienced comparable benefits from Baha use, with a 17% complication rate.
Conclusions:
- Bone-anchored hearing aids (Bahas) are a viable and durable treatment for children with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
- Bahas effectively enhance hearing in noise and alleviate listening challenges, leading to improved quality of life.
- The study supports the use of Bahas as a beneficial intervention for pediatric SSD.
Objective:
To evaluate the use of bone-anchored hearing aids (Bahas) in children with single-sided deafness.
Design:
Retrospective 3-year chart review.
Setting:
Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, pediatric hospital serving children from birth to 21 years of age.
Patients:
The study included 23 children (14 girls and 9 boys) with single-sided deafness (mean age, 12.6 years; age range, 6-19 years).
Interventions:
Two-stage Baha surgery with 6-month osseointegration was performed on children 5 years and older at a single institution. The Baha processor was placed 2 weeks after the second-stage surgery.
Main Outcome Measures:
Results of the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) and the Children's Home Inventory for Listening Difficulties (CHILD) questionnaires were compared before and after Baha activation in children with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
Results:
Preimplant mean HINT scores at speech-noise ratios of 0, +5, and +10 dB were 42%, 76%, and 95%, respectively. Postimplant mean HINT scores improved to mean speech-noise ratios of 82%, 97%, and 99% at 0, 5, and 10 dB, respectively. The CHILD scores also improved from mean preimplant ratings of 4.49 and 4.60 for patients and parents, respectively, to postimplant ratings of 6.90 and 7.10. Both teenagers (n = 15) and children younger than 13 years (n = 7) demonstrated improved HINT and CHILD scores. The complication rate was 17%.
Conclusion:
Bone-anchored hearing aids are a durable treatment option that can achieve noticeable improvements in hearing in noise and in listening difficulties in children with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
