Auditory Outcomes in Children Who Undergo Cochlear Implantation Before 12 Months of Age: A Systematic Review
Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
Wu, S. S., Sbeih, F., et al. (2023).
Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 169(2), 210-220.
This systematic review investigates auditory outcomes for cochlear implantation in children at or before 12 months of age.
No funding received
From database inception to September 1, 2021
All study designs excluding single case reports
17
The following post-operative scores were reported across a various number of studies (n) for children who underwent cochlear implantation:<br />
<ul>
<li>Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP): The average CAP score for the ≤ 12-month cohort was 79%, with a range of 80% to 100% (n= 3). For the > 12-month cohort, scores ranged from 85.7% to 100% (n=2). </li>
<li>Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC): The average CNC score for the ≤ 12-month cohort was 80%, with a range of 65% to 95% (n=3). For the > 12-month cohort, scores ranged from 65% to 88% (n=2). </li>
<li>Glendonald Auditory Screening Procedure (GASP): The average GASP score was 71% for the ≤ 12-month cohort, with a range of 55% to 92% (n=4). For the > 12-month cohort, scores ranged from 35% to 92% (n=2).</li>
<li>Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (IT-MAIS): The average score on the IT-MAIS for the ≤ 12-month cohort was 73%, with a range of 60% to 90% (n= 9). For the > 12-month cohort, scores ranged from 72% to 80% (n=3).</li>
<li>LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ): The average score on the LEAQ for the ≤ 12-month cohort was 84%, with a range of 80% to 91% (n= 4). For the > 12-month cohort, scores ranged from 80% to 91.4% (n=2). </li>
</ul>
Within comparative studies, postoperative scores of the ≤ 12-month cohort were generally equal to or better than those of the > 12-month cohort. Additionally, limited evidence demonstrated that earlier implantation was associated with improved pre-linguistic vocalizations, expressive and receptive language skills, and vocabulary development, with children achieving similar outcomes to peers without hearing loss. Limitations to this review include reduced methodological rigor of included studies and heterogeneity between studies regarding hearing loss etiology, cochlear implantation techniques and devices, and outcome measures used.
