Benefits of Cochlear Implantation and Hearing Preservation for Children With Preoperative Functional Hearing: A Prospective Clinical Trial.

Objectives: This study was designed to (1) compare preactivation and postactivation performance with a cochlear implant for children with functional preoperative low-frequency hearing, (2) compare outcomes of electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) versus electric-only stimulation (ES) for children with versus without hearing preservation to understand the benefits of low-frequency acoustic cues, and (3) to investigate the relationship between postoperative acoustic hearing thresholds and performance.

Design: This was a prospective, 12-month between-subjects trial including 24 pediatric cochlear implant recipients with preoperative low-frequency functional hearing. Participant ages ranged from 5 to 17 years old.

Younger Age at Cochlear Implant Activation Results in Improved Auditory Skill Development for Children With Congenital Deafness.

Purpose: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration indications for cochlear implantation in children is currently 9 months of age and older for children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).