Mansoura University habilitation outcome of prelingual cochlear-implanted children: 5 years of experience

Abstract Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore the effects of different preimplantation and postimplantation factors on the postimplant outcome of prelingual cochlear-implanted (CI) children as regards their auditory and language development. Patients and methods: This retrospective study included a sample of 33 prelingual CI children who were presented to the Phoniatric Unit, Mansoura University Hospitals, Mansoura, Egypt, and were implanted during the last 5 years starting from August 2009 to August 2014. All children received structured auditory and language therapy sessions after CI twice weekly. They were subjected to the protocol of assessment of a delayed language development (before and after language therapy sessions) using subjective and quasiobjective measures of evaluation including improvement quotient assessment, language assessment, and assessment of auditory abilities including detection, discrimination, identification, and comprehension. Results: The results of the study proved that the better habilitation outcomes after CI children are correlated with young age at CI surgery, preoperative improvement quotient, language therapy before and after implantation, and regularity of hearing aids usage before surgery. Conclusion: Early CI of the prelingual children is recommended to minimize initial language delays and to promote the development of age-appropriate communication skills. © 2016, The Author(s).