Cochlear Implantation in Children Under 12 Months of Age

Abstract Universal newborn hearing screening programs have resulted in earlier identification of children born with hearing loss. Because of the severity of their hearing impairment, some of these children receive limited benefit from hearing aids and are at risk for compromised speech, language, and auditory development. These children are often good candidates for cochlear implantation. A recent trend in pediatric hearing health care is the provision of a cochlear implant prior to one year of age for children who receive limited to no benefit from hearing aids. The following article discusses the benefits and limitations of cochlear implantation prior to one year of age and also discusses our clinical experiences with children who have received a cochlear implant prior to their first birthday.