Development of cognition, communication, and vocalization in hearing impaired infants fitted with hearing aids

Abstract

To study the characteristics of development of cognition, communication, and vocalization in congenitally hearing impaired infants with hearing aids. Hearing aids were fitted to 39 congenitally hearing impaired infants: 20 of them were fitted with the hearing aids before the age of 8 months (Group A), and 19 of them after the age of 8 months (Group B). Digital video camera was used to record the action, communication, and vocalization of the children. The time needed to be adaptable to the hearing aids of Group A was (0.5+/-0.2) months, significantly shorter than that of Group B [(2.2+/-0.3) months, P<0.01]. The time needed to establish communication by eyes was (0.6+/-0.2) months in Group A, significantly shorter than that in Group B [(2.3+/-0.5) months, P<0.01]. The time needed to present canonical babbling, communication by pointing behaviors, and meaningful words of Group A were (15.0+/-1.8) months, (12.1+/-2.1) months, and (17.3+/-2.2) months respectively, all stigmatically shorter than those of Group B [(23.2+/-8.0) months, (16.1+/-4.5) months, and (32.6+/-10.9) months respectively, all P<0.05)]. However, the time needed to present pre-canonical babbling of Group A was (4.3+/-0.5) months, not significantly different from that of Group B [(4.8+/-0.6) months, P>0.05]. Using the hearing aids early and validly helps acquire good development of cognizance and speech in hearing impaired infants.