Performance of 2- and 3-year-old children and prediction of 4-year from 1-year performance.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether children perform better when they receive cochlear implants when they are 2 to 4 years of age than when they are older, and to determine whether 4-year performance can be predicted from 1-year results.


METHODS
Children in two age groups (2 to 4, 4 to 9 years) were tested for performance, and the age groups were compared. Children were also tested 1 and 4 years after implantation.


RESULTS
The results suggest that the "implanted young" group scored higher than the "implanted old" group after 36 months, and that 1-year performance is helpful in predicting 4-year performance.


CONCLUSIONS
It may be desirable for children to undergo implantation when they are under 2 years of age, provided that appropriate selection criteria can be determined.
Tyler
R S
RS
University of Iowa, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Iowa City 52242-1078, USA.
Gantz
B J
BJ
Woodworth
G G
GG
Fryauf-Bertschy
H
H
Kelsay
D M
DM
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003638:Deafness / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception; D013997:Time Factors