For parents of children born with significant hearing loss, there’s reason for optimism. Technological advancements now allow for the effective treatment of profound hearing loss in children as young as 12 months old. Approximately one in every 1,000 newborns in the United States experiences profound deafness. Fortunately, solutions exist. Cochlear implants, sophisticated electronic devices, offer a way to restore hearing by bypassing damaged parts of the ear and directly stimulating the auditory nerve. These implants can be particularly beneficial for individuals who don’t experience sufficient improvement with conventional hearing aids.
One of the latest innovations in this field is the HiResolution® Bionic Ear System, developed by Advanced Bionics, a Neuromodulation Group of Boston Scientific Corporation. This system is designed to deliver HiResolution sound, enhancing the subtle nuances of sound to stimulate a more natural hearing nerve response. This benefits both children with profound hearing loss and adults with severe to profound hearing loss.
The potential benefits of cochlear implants are numerous, including improved hearing at a distance, more comfortable loudness perception, and clearer, more understandable speech. Experts note that individuals with cochlear implants can often engage in normal conversations, hear effectively in noisy environments like restaurants, use telephones, work, participate in sports, attend school, and even play musical instruments.
Early screening and the implementation of hearing devices, such as cochlear implants, offer significant medical, financial, and social advantages. According to Patricia Trautwein, Au.D., director of auditory education and training for Advanced Bionics, “Cochlear implants, when combined with auditory therapy, can significantly accelerate the acquisition of speech, language, and social skills in young children, enabling them to successfully integrate into mainstream classrooms with their hearing peers.”
Nearly half of all cochlear implant recipients are children. The earlier hearing loss is detected and intervention and treatment are initiated, the greater the benefit for children. Adult candidates for cochlear implants are typically those with post-lingual deafness in both ears who experience limited improvement with hearing aids.