Deterioration in hearing caused by hearing aids in children?

(1) There were 7 children among 55 afflicted with severe hearing impairment or with residual hearing (approximately 13%) who exhibited mostly unilateral progression which was ascertained by accurate pure tone audiometric tests during an observation period of several years. (2) Instrument-caused deterioration, however, could not be confirmed in these children. Except for 1 case, deterioration was rather attributable to intercurrent diseases and hearing-aid-independent progression. However, a higher sensitivity to additional auditory damage appears to exist. (3) According to the results of the present studies, the use to super-power hearing aids is indicated in cases of residual hearing although the hearing aid should not be used during the period of intercurrent diseases. In early childhood, intensive speech hearing training should in any case be limited to about three periods of 20 min each daily. This also applies when speech is not understood because experience demonstrates that the acquisition of speech rhythms is a major aid in the process of learning to speak.