Communication Skills in Toddlers Exposed to Maternal SARS-CoV-2 during Pregnancy.

Studies about the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on pregnant women and children born to positive women are controversial with regard to possible inner ear-related damage but most of them do not detect the involvement of this virus in auditory function. However, only a few studies on long-term effects on language development are currently available because of the recent onset of the pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on perceptual and expressive abilities and the emerging development of communication in young children.

The Audiological Follow-Up of Children with Symptomatic Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: An Experience in Two Italian Centers.

Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is the leading cause of non-hereditary sensorineural hearing loss in children. While about 10% of children reportedly display symptoms at birth, 85-90% of cCMV infection cases are asymptomatic. However, 10-15% of these asymptomatic infants may later develop hearing, visual, or neurodevelopmental impairments.

Surviving cancer following total laryngectomy: a phenomenological study.

Purpose: Total laryngectomy followed by radiotherapy is a life-preserving treatment for patients with locally advanced laryngeal cancer. This study explored how persons who had undergone total laryngectomy perceived themselves as cancer survivors in the follow-up phase.

Methods: A descriptive phenomenological approach was adopted.