[Results and indications of cochlear implant in 19 cases of total pre-speech deafness]

From June, 1987, to January, 1900, 19 patients aged 3 to 56 years have been rehabilitated for total deafness occurring prior to the acquisition of speech, ie. before age 2, whatever its cause. Some degree of hearing was achieved in all cases. However, the rate and steadiness of progress in auditory recognition, the daily period of use of the device and the changes in the behavior were inversely proportional to the patient's age. This leads to proposing cochlear implants for all patients, especially children, and all the more largely as they are young.