Auditory perception and speech recognition outcomes in Syrian refugee children with cochlear implants

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Refugee Health

Background:

• Hearing loss is a significant concern among refugee populations.
• Limited research exists on hearing loss and cochlear implantation outcomes in Syrian refugees in Turkey.
• Gaziantep province hosts a large Syrian refugee population, necessitating local health assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate auditory perception, word and sentence comprehension, and speech recognition in Syrian refugee children who received cochlear implantation (CI).
• To identify factors influencing CI outcomes in this specific demographic.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 30 Syrian refugee children who underwent CI surgery.
• Utilized the Arabic version of the Evaluation of Auditory Responses to Speech (EARS) test battery.
• Assessed auditory perception and speech recognition outcomes.

Main Results:

• Syrian refugee children received CI at an average age of 39.57 months, indicating delayed access.
• Most participants (93.33%) lacked regular special education.
• EARS test scores were significantly lower than normative values (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Socioeconomic disadvantages, limited access to special education, and delayed CI contribute to suboptimal auditory and language development.
• Early diagnosis, timely cochlear implantation, and comprehensive rehabilitation are essential for refugee children.
• Addressing these barriers is critical to improve hearing and speech outcomes for Syrian refugee children.