title: Cochlear implant recipients' hearing sensation as manifested by their maps during pregnancy and postpartum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate possible changes in hearing sensation as manifested in the maps' psychoacoustic parameters, threshold (T), and most comfortable (C/M) levels among cochlear implant (CI) female recipients during pregnancy and after delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-affiliated tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  : Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two MedEl device and 3 Nucleus device users' medical records were reviewed for age at the time of implantation, cause of deafness, type of anesthesia used during delivery, and maps' parameters (T and C/M levels) during pregnancy and after childbirth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two CI recipients underwent uncomplicated cesarean deliveries under spinal anesthesia, and 3 others had natural delivery without anesthesia. There were no changes in map values during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period in 4 of 5 CI recipients. Only 1 CI recipient showed significant increase in T levels that was resolved after she completed breastfeeding 3 months postdelivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The elevation in T levels might indicate that pregnancy and delivery can result in some temporary reversible changes in hearing sensation manifested by map levels of CI users.
authors.affiliation: Speech and Hearing Center, Sheba Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Ricky
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaplan-Neeman
authors.forename: Minka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hildesheimer
authors.forename: Chava
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muchnik
authors.forename: Jona
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kronenberg
authors.forename: Lela
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Migirov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003376:Counseling; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium