Speech language development after cochlear implants in prelingual children according to the age of implantation

Alexandre Caixeta Guimarães, Henrique Furlan Pauna, Silvia Badur Curi, Vagner Rodrigues Silva, Alexandre S. M Duarte, Arthur Menino Castilho

Indian Journal of Otology 2017 23(3):185-188

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the results regarding speech development of implanted children according to the age of implantation. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study with all implanted children at a tertiary hospital from 2003 to 2010. Children were grouped according to the age of the activation of the cochlear implant (CI), gender, and etiology. The degree of oral communication and the speech development using the MacArthur-Bates scale were evaluated. Results: Fifty-six children were included, 23 of them were activated before 3 years of age and 33 between 3 and 6 years. The average time of CIs use was 66 months with no significant difference between groups. Oral communication and the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories were significantly better in children activated before 3 years (P = 0.018). Conclusion: The oral communication and speech development of children implanted before 3 years of age were significantly better than children implanted after 3 years of age.

http://ift.tt/2emXKAu