Deafness in childhood: 3. Cochlear implants: who, why and what are the results?
Some profound or totally deaf children cannot benefit from a hearing aid. In some cases a cochlear implant may be successful. The system compromises a small cable implanted into the inner ear, and externally-worn devices to collect and transmit the sounds to the ear. The cable consists of electrodes that respond to different frequencies of speech, imitating the action of the inner ear. It is not possible to predict the outcome in individual cases. At best, the child may subsequently be able to speak fluently and hear without lip-reading. At least, the child should be able to hear some background noise such as traffic, and be able to improve his or her lip-reading skills. It may take up to a year before improvements begin to show. The implant is intended to be permanent. Cochlear implants are still at a relatively early stage of development. Progress is cautious but the results so far are very encouraging. The entry gate is widening and the number of children being accepted for treatment is increasing.
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D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018579:Patient Selection; D016896:Treatment Outcome