Cochlear Implants Safe and Effective in Younger Children With Hearing Loss, Multicenter Study Finds

Children with severe hearing loss may benefit from cochlear implants at younger ages and under broader eligibility criteria than previously recognized, according to a multicenter study led by researchers at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The findings were published online in August in The Laryngoscope.

The evidence provided by this study was the basis for the recent expanded FDA indications for MED-EL cochlear implants. This important change increases access for infants as young as 7 months old and for children whose hearing aids do not provide enough benefit.

The study was led by Dr. Nancy M. Young, Founder and Medical Director of the Cochlear Implant Program at Lurie Children’s, and included children from centers across the United States. Researchers evaluated outcomes following cochlear implantation in infants younger than 12 months of age and in children with more residual hearing for whom hearing aids did not permit them to hear the essential sounds in spoken language.

The results showed that most children experienced meaningful improvements in hearing and listening skills within a year after receiving a cochlear implant. More than 80 percent of children in the prospective study group and 88 percent in the retrospective group met the study’s success measures. Positive outcomes were seen both in babies younger than 12 months and in children with residual hearing.

Researchers also found that cochlear implantation was safe in these groups of children. Infants who received implants before their first birthday did not experience complications more than older children, providing additional evidence that earlier intervention can be performed safely.

“The findings are important because hearing plays a critical role in speech, language and learning during the early years of life,” Dr. Young said. “By expanding access to cochlear implantation, we can give more children the opportunity to develop the listening and spoken language skills that support success in school and everyday life.”

Reference:

N. M. Young, D. Thomas, S. R. Hoff, et al., “ Multicenter Study Results on Expanded Indications in Med-EL Pediatric Cochlear Implant Population,” The Laryngoscope (2026): 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.70840.