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Texas Children's Hearing Center
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Texas Children's
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What is a cochlear implant?
The cochlear implant is a two-part electronic listening device
for the profoundly hearing impaired that has revolutionized the
treatment of deafness. Operating differently than a hearing aid,
which amplifies sound in the outer ear, the cochlear implant
bypasses the external and middle ear and delivers sound information
directly to the hearing nerve.
Three types
of cochlear implants are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), and Texas Children’s is authorized to implant
all three to treat children with profound hearing loss. The devices
are manufactured by three companies:
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Advanced
Bionics
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Cochlear
Ltd.
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MED-EL
These
different devices are used according to each child's
needs. Contact Texas Children’s Hearing Center at 832-822-3250 for
more information.
What is the ideal age for a child to receive a
cochlear implant?
Since birth to age 5 are the most critical years for language
and speech development, the earlier a child receives an implant, the
more easily he or she will adapt and begin learning how to interpret
auditory information. The earliest a child may receive a cochlear
implant in the United States is 12 months. A thorough evaluation by
a team of specialists can help determine whether a child is a good
candidate for cochlear implantation.
What are the hearing loss requirements for
consideration for cochlear implantation?
For a child to be considered for cochlear implantation, he or
she must be evaluated for the degree of hearing loss. Through
testing, a child must be found to be profoundly deaf, defined as
having bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at a “profound” level.
If a child
would not be helped by hearing aids or traditional means, he or she
may be a candidate for implantation. A thorough assessment by a
multidisciplinary team at The Hearing Center at Texas Children’s
will consider factors including genetic and medical history, speech
and language abilities and psychosocial and developmental factors.
How can my child apply as a candidate for cochlear
implantation?
Contact Jody Haymond via phone at 832-822-3250 or
e-mail.
  
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