Otol Neurotol. 2002;23(6):885-890.
Author(s)
Govaerts P , C. De Beukelaer , Daemers K , De Ceulaer G , Yperman M , Somers T , Schatteman I , Offeciers FE
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of cochlear implantation in young children in relation to the age at implantation.
STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis of pediatric cochlear implant patients.
PATIENTS: All children with congenital deafness who underwent implantation before the age of 6 years (n = 48 for the longitudinal analysis and n = 70 for the cross-sectional analysis)
INTERVENTIONS: All children received a multichannel cochlear implant.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) score and integration into the mainstream school system.
RESULTS: For all children, the CAP score increased after implantation. Implantation beyond the age of 4 years hardly ever resulted in normal CAP scores or in integration into the mainstream primary school (20 to 30% of cases). Implantation between the age of 2 and 4 years always resulted in normal CAP scores after 3 years with a 66% probability of integration into the primary school. Implantation before the age of 2 years always resulted in immediate normalization of the CAP scores, with a 90% probability of integration into the mainstream kindergarten, well before entrance into the primary school.
CONCLUSION: All children with congenital deafness who underwent implantation before the age of 6 years appeared to benefit from the implant. However, these data add evidence to the importance of early implantation (before the age of 2 years). Intervention before the age of 4 years seemed to be critical to avoid irreversible auditory performance losses, and intervention before the age of 2 years seemed to be critical to achieve optimal results.