Functional language performance outcomes on paediatric cochlear implant patients in Malawi

Objectives: To assess functional language performance on paediatric cochlear implant patients in Malawi. Methods: Sixteen patients who received cochlear implantation before the age of 18 years from a single site were invited for an interview. Parents or guardians of twelve of these participated in the PEACH and BAPP questionnaires, whilst four others who had become adults answered independently. The PEACH scale is a 13-question survey with a maximum score of 52. The BAPP score has four domains with a total score of 16. Results: Most patients acquired profound hearing loss through either mumps, meningitis, malaria or a combination (15/16). The mean age of onset of profound deafness was 8.8 years of age (range = 4-16 years) and implantation was 10.6 years (range = 4-18 years). The mean 'Quiet Sounds' questions were 23.56/24 (sd +/-1.75) and 'Loud Sounds' were 27.06/28 (sd +/-1.57). The mean total PEACH score was 50.63/52 (sd +/-2.73). There was no correlation with age of implant and PEACH score. The BAPP score was 16/16 for each patient. Conclusion: Despite a very low socio-economic environment, this cohort shows cochlear implantation has a strong perceived benefit from the parents and guardians of post-lingually profoundly deaf children.