Eli's Rehab Report

Quality of life for children with cochlear implants:perceived health benefits and problems and the perception of single words and emotional sounds. Schorr EA, Roth FP, Fox NA; J Speech Lang Hear Res.2009 Feb;52(1):141-52. Epub 2008 Jul 29.

Researchers examined childrens self-reported quality of life with a cochlear implant. They also investigated the effects of age at amplification with hearing aids and fitting of cochlear implants on perceived quality of life. Their study examined the responses of 37 congenitally deaf children with cochlear implants to a quality of life questionnaire.

Findings: Children, aged 5 to 14, reported significant improvement in quality of life due to their cochlear implants, and low levels of concern about typical problems associated with wearing an implant. Also, age at first use of amplification was predictive of better quality of life ratings.

The childrens perceived quality of life did not significantly predict speech perception performance at the single word level. In contrast, increased quality of life predicted better performance on the emotion identification task.

This study underscores the need for early detection and intervention for children with hearing loss to ensure the best possible outcomes, said ASHA President Sue Hale, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University.ASHA has been vigorously working over the last decade to expand EDHI programs through legislation at both the state and federal level.