A study carried out between 2017 and 2018, on a sample of 793 children and young people with hearing loss (up to 26 years of age), from 15 autonomous communities and Ceuta, highlights that 51% of cases are users of cochlear implants and 40% of hearing aids. 9% use another type of hearing aid.
This study has been carried out by the Spanish Confederation of Families of Deaf People (Fiapas)in collaboration with the demographic company IPSOS, with financing from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and the Once Foundation.
The results reveal the growing importance of the cochlear implant technique in the treatment of childhood deafness. The percentage of implant users in the sample of this study is higher by almost 10 points in relation to the data collected in a similar study by Fiapas in 2005, on that occasion on a sample of 600 people.
From this entity, they celebrate that thanks to several factors, such as early detection and implementation, “the socio-educational perspective of these children and young people has taken a substantial turn compared to previous generations”. The data is illustrative: children and young people in the sample who are in the academic year that corresponds to them by age is around 90%twenty points above what was found in 2005.
Cochlear implant from 6 months of age
Without a doubt, one of the great advances achieved in recent years is the minimum age from which an implant can be used. So, Currently, cochlear implants can be used in children from 6 months of age so that the lack of hearing minimally affects their development.. Furthermore, although for many years it was common to place a single implant in children under 7 years of age, It is already an established indication to place two implants simultaneously (from the first year of life), or sequential.
Note: In this post, a previous headline has been corrected and some content of the text has been revised that was not faithful to the information originally provided by Fiapas about its study.
