18th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 3-5, 2019 • Chicago, IL
EI and CI: How Early Is Too Early?
Hearing loss in the absence of appropriate intervention is one of the leading causes for speech, language, and developmental delays in children. Cochlear implantation in children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss has been a successful intervention that allows persons with hearing impairment to develop speech and language at a rate that is unattainable without intervention. The degree of speech and language development attained with cochlear implantation greatly depends on the age at which the procedure was implemented; the optimal period for speech and language development that matches normal-hearing peers has been determined to be within the first six months of life. Cochlear implantation is not FDA approved as an intervention until 12 months of age due to the potential risk factors in the younger population, but this is significantly later than the optimal period of six months. Delays in intervention can lead to speech language development that never reaches that of their normal hearing peers. This poster provides a systematic review of the literature concerning language outcomes in persons implanted before and after 12 months of age to determine if the speech and language benefits of early implantation outweigh the potential risks of the procedure.
- Assess the risk and benefits of speech and language development with earlier intervention of cochlear implants in infants. (Before 12 months of age compared to implantation 12-36 months of age)
- Determine if cochlear implantation should be implemented in the younger than 12 months old population due to the vast advantages in speech and language development when compared to implantation at a later age.
- Determine whether the risks of implantation before 12 months are only potential rather than documented.
Poster:
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Presenter: Natasha McLaren
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Katharine Fitzharris, Au.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University. She earned a M.S. degree in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience and a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Fitzharris is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology and has served on several volunteer committees for the American Academy of Audiology. Her research interests include auditory cognitive neuroscience, electrophysiology, and the evaluation and treatment of auditory processing disorders.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.