Study Finds Benefits for Deaf Children With Developmental Delays Who Receive Cochlear Implants

A new study has found that cochlear implantation benefits children with deafness and developmental delays, which has health policy implications for private insurers and large statewide publicly administered programs. The study, “Cochlear Implants for Deaf Children with Early Developmental Impairment,” which will be published in the June 2022 issue of Pediatrics (published online May 24), followed deaf children in Texas and California for two years and found that cochlear implantation was associated with improved scores on measures of non-verbal cognitive skills, adaptive functioning, language, auditory skills, and reduced stress in the parent-child system, compared to treatment with hearing aids alone. Data show that cochlear implantation should be considered for all children with severe-to-profound hearing loss, regardless of their cognitive skills and adaptive behavior, the authors write. Cochlear implantation has become the standard of care for children with deafness because it permits better speech and language acquisition. However, severe developmental delays have been used by insurance providers as a rationale to deny coverage for this treatment, the authors note. Cognitive and adaptive skills should not be used as a “litmus test” for pediatric cochlear implantation, the authors conclude.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.