Audiology and Deaf Studies

Biography

Biography: Hua Zhang

Abstract

At present, more than 90 % of cochlear implant (CI) recipients are children in China. Nowadays the implanting age is getting younger and younger. However, whether a infant less than twelve-month should be implanted immediately after diagnosis of hearing loss or not?

The most used auditory assessment questionnaires for hearing impaired infants in China are categories of auditory performance (CAP) and Infant-Toddler meaningful auditory integration scale (IT-MAIS). The former had no age distinction and no significance in short term. Some studies have indicated that the reliability of IT-MAIS is inexact. Is there any other questionnaire that can make up for the shortages?

Objective: To observe the auditory development of infants with CI between the ages of 8~24 months in the first year. The  effect of implant age and intervention periods were analyzed.

Method: Based on different implant ages, 41 infants with CI were divided into group A (≤12months), group B (13-18 months), group C (19-24months), using LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire to assess and analyze auditory development before switch-on and 3 months,6 months,9 months and 12 months after switch-on.

Results: Auditory ability was no significant difference among three groups at the same period. Significant differences were obtained among different switch-on stages.

Conclusion: Auditory abilities of infants after switch-on in the first year were significantly increased. Auditory abilities of infants before age of 24 months with CI were no difference at the same period in the first year. It is suggested that infants implanted  before age of 24 months could wear hearing aids. This could establish hearing experience for children to increase the probability of hearing response and the parents’ confidence on rehabilitation. At the same time, the experience establishes a link between parents and therapists..