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There's good news for parents who have a child born with significant hearing loss. Advances in technology are making it possible to address profound hearing loss in children as young as 12 months of age.

Approximately one of every 1
0
newborns in the United States-about 33 babies per day-is born profoundly deaf.

Fortunately
there are treatment alternatives. For example
cochlear implants are small
complex
implantable electronic devices that restore hearing by bypassing the damaged parts of the ear to directly stimulate the auditory nerve
and may be beneficial to those who cannot hear or understand speech well with a hearing aid.

One of the latest developments in cochlear implant technology is the HiResolutionฎ Bionic Ear System. Developed by Advanced Bionics Corporation
the Neuromodulation Group of Boston Scientific Corporation
it is described as the only cochlear implant system that can provide HiResolution sound
which is designed to enhance the fine details of sound to stimulate a more natural hearing nerve response for both children with profound hearing loss and adults with severe or profound hearing loss.

Potential advantages of the cochlear implant include better distance hearing
comfortable loudness growth
and clearer
more understandable speech.

Experts say people with cochlear implants can hold normal conversations
hear in noisy environments such as restaurants
use the telephone
work
participate in sports
attend school
and even play musical instruments.

Early screening and implementation of a hearing device
such as a cochlear implant
have medical
financial and social benefits. "Cochlear implants
coupled with auditory therapy
can help young children more quickly acquire the speech
language and social skills needed to successfully mainstream into regular classrooms with their normal-hearing peers
said Patricia Trautwein, Au.D., director of auditory education and training for Advanced Bionics.

Nearly half of all cochlear implant recipients are children. Children benefit most from a cochlear implant when their hearing loss is detected in its beginning stages and they receive early intervention and treatment.

Adult candidates for a cochlear implant are most often those who are post-lingually deaf in both ears. These individuals typically receive limited benefit from hearing aids.