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Author Spotlight: Advancements in Impedance Monitoring for Cochlear Implant Surgery
Published on: August 4, 2023
Benefits and risks related to cochlear implantation for children with residual hearing: a systematic review
Eunjung Na1,2, Karine Toupin-April1,2,3, Janet Olds2,4,5
1School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Objective:
This study aimed to synthesise information concerning the potential benefits and risks related to cochlear implants (CIs) versus hearing aids (HAs) in children with residual hearing.
Design:
A systematic review of articles published from January 2003 to January 2019 was conducted.
Study Sample:
Our review included studies that compared the benefits and risks of CIs versus HAs in children (≤18 years old) with residual hearing. A total of 3265 citations were identified; 8 studies met inclusion criteria.
Results:
Children with CIs showed significantly better speech perception scores post-CI than pre-CI. There was limited evidence related to improvement in everyday auditory performance, and the results showed non-significant improvement in speech intelligibility. One study on social-emotional functioning suggested benefits from CIs. In four studies, 37.2% (16/43) of children showed loss of residual hearing and 14.0% (8/57) had discontinued or limited use of their device.
Conclusions:
Children with CIs showed improvement in speech perception outcomes compared to those with HAs. However, due to the limited number of studies and information to guide decision-making related to other areas of development, it will be important to conduct further research of both benefits and risks of CIs in this specific population to facilitate decision-making.
