Cochlear Implants
What are Cochlear Implants in Pediatrics?
Cochlear implants in pediatrics are hearing devices that improve children's hearing with profound deafness or severe hearing loss.
The cochlear implant is surgically implanted into the inner ear and converts sound waves into electrical signs transmitted directly to the auditory nerve.
The device helps stimulate residual hearing, allowing a child to understand sound better and communicate more effectively.
This technology has been used for decades to help children with hearing loss.
What Causes the Need for Cochlear Implants?
Cochlear implants are needed when a person has severe to profound hearing loss from any cause.
Signs & Symptoms of needing cochlear implants?
It depends on the person's age and the cause and severity of their hearing loss. In general, a person who needs a cochlear implant experience:
- Difficulty understanding speech
- Struggle to distinguish between similar-sounding words
- Have a poor memory for conversations or other verbal information
- Difficulty localizing sound
- Not responding to sound
- Difficulty learning language skills
- Limited babbling or cooling
What is a Cochlear Implant Made of?
The main component of a cochlear implant includes:
- An external processor.
- A transmitter and receiver system.
- An internal implant (made up of magnets, electrodes, and wires).
- A microphone.
The external processor is worn on the outside of the ear or head and contains a microphone to pick up sound from the environment.
A processor sends this information to the transmitter-receiver system, which converts the sound into digital signals sent to the internal implant.
The internal implant is a series of magnets, electrodes, and wires in the inner ear.
These components stimulate the auditory nerve and allow the user to perceive sound.
CHRISTUS Children's - Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic
CHRISTUS Children's Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Clinic provides comprehensive services for children and adolescents experiencing a variety of ear, nose, and throat disorders.
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CHRISTUS Children's has a monthly Prader-Willi syndrome multidisciplinary clinic based in San Antonio, Texas. If you or your child has a confirmed diagnosis of Prader-Willi, you can be referred to the clinic to receive coordinated care from our experienced specialists, including geneticists, ENT doctors, endocrinologists, pulmonologists, sleep medicine specialists, psychologists, dietitians, social workers, and speech pathologists.
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