Cochlear Implant in Prelingually Deaf Children: Our Experience.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pediatric Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Prelingual deafness significantly impacts speech and language development.
• Cochlear implantation (CI) is a crucial intervention for severe to profound hearing loss.
• Government-funded programs aim to provide CI access to underserved populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of a government-funded prelingual cochlear implantation program in Central India.
• To compare the effectiveness of CI in children younger than 4 years versus those older than 4 years.
• To identify factors influencing speech and language development post-CI.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 42 prelingually deaf children who underwent CI between March 2015 and February 2018.
• Analysis of patient demographics, pre-implantation hearing aid use, surgical techniques, and CI device type.
• Assessment of post-operative speech therapy outcomes using Categories of Auditory Perception (CAP) and Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) scores.
• Non-parametric statistical methods were used for group comparisons.

Main Results:

• Children aged 2-7 years received CI, with both varia and mastoidectomy/posterior tympanotomy surgical techniques employed successfully.
• Complete electrode insertion and activation rates were high.
• No significant difference in CAP and SIR outcomes was observed between children implanted before and after 4 years of age at the 1-year follow-up.

Conclusions:

• While surgical outcomes were favorable, the study highlights the critical need for earlier identification and CI intervention before 4 years of age for optimal speech-language development.
• Strengthening early identification and CI services within government schemes is essential for maximizing developmental potential in prelingually deaf children.