Cochlear implantation in children: implications for the primary care provider.
OBJECTIVE
To define hearing loss (HL), discuss the impact of HL on child development, and review the literature on cochlear implantation in children. The criteria for and the benefits and limitations of cochlear implantation in children, as well as the implications for the primary care provider with regard to children who have cochlear implants, are presented.


METHODS
Review of published literature on the topic.


CONCLUSIONS
A child's future development depends greatly on speech and language skills. Any type of HL can impact and may even hinder speech and language acquisition. It is therefore crucial to enforce early identification of HL. For severe to profoundly hearing-impaired children, cochlear implantation serves as an avenue for hearing and language development.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurse practitioners ought to be up to date with criteria for and the benefits and risks of cochlear implantation. Health-related issues, such as vaccination, otitis media, and meningitis, must be assessed for and managed promptly.
Goller
Yael
Y
Columbia University School of Nursing, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program, New York, New York, USA. ysgoller@aol.com
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007804:Language Development; D008403:Mass Screening; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000458:organization & administration; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D018579:Patient Selection; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012107:Research Design; D012648:Self Care; D012919:Social Behavior; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception