CI's in Children

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Jennifer_S_H

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Hi everyone!
Just a quick question I had: What do you think of parents getting cochlear implants for their very young infants and toddlers?
If you have an opinion on the subject and wouldn't mind sharing your answer, please reply!
Thanks a lot
Jennifer
 
It's up to the parents on if they want to have it done.
 
Just a quick question I had: What do you think of parents getting cochlear implants for their very young infants and toddlers?
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Depends. I am OK with kids being implanted who have auditory nereopathy (a condition where hearing aids don't help at all) but, it's just so difficult for parents to get an accurate portrait of what a child hears even with ABR. I mean I've heard of instances where a child was tested as having a profound loss via ABR but then more traditional testing indicated that they had a hoh (audilogical) loss. I'm also OK with implantation as long as Sign continues to be used. I think many anti-CIers are getting oralism confused with CIs. Oralism can be practiced just the same with hearing aids! Back in the 70's, experts were saying that 95% of dhh kids could learn to talk with hearing aids alone!!! I've seen CIs becoming slowly but surely more accepted, and I think within a generation CIs will be accepted universally in the Deaf culture. Hey..... 60 years ago or whenever hearing aids first became popular, lots of experts were against hearing aids....and now they are very accepted within Deaf culture!!!!
 
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I think it's up to the parents to decide. I think that parents need to be educated how much energy they have to put into making the CI successful whatever method they use. There are some people and children receiving CI's that are not fully aware that if their goal is to hear without lipreading or whatever, that they have to receive intense therapy with a speech thearpist, auditory verbal therapist AND at home. Goals need to be discussed between audiologists and patients to make sure they understand fully what's going to happen.
 
As long as sign is used along with speech practices I'm fine. But some parents who get their kids CI's don't want their kids to use sign. Which is bull. Anyway, that is my opinion.
 
Banjo said:
It's up to the parents on if they want to have it done.
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honestly if a parent wants to get CI's for their child it is up to them but it is almost stripping the child of their identity. They are deaf... its who they are and if they want to join the hearing world it shoudl be their choice. Now it is not up to them till they are 18 but they shoudl still have input. I know that studies show that the effectiveness of CI's and hearing aids aids is much better when started at an early age but...
i really dont know. I find it cruel to take away someone's identity. I mean they will knwo they are deaf (or were :/) and maybe they may regret having them. I know that my freind would probably kill me if i ever even meantion the phrase "CI" agh...
honestly.. if i was deaf i woudl not want to do anything about it. I hate being hearing (even though i am a music freak) i just cant stand to hear what peoplw say... :tears:
 
My brother has a CI and he's 6. He was implanted when he was 15 monthes. The first one had some malfunctioning parts so he had to be reimplanted. I'd say about 2 or 3 years ago. I see nothin wrong with parents choosing for their children. They want what is best for them whatever it takes.
 
i think the parents have the right...

here's what i posted in another thread....
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I have a implant and its the best thing that ever happened to me.

I got it when i was 7....i WISH i could have got it when i was 1 year old...if i did, i would be talking on the phone and hearing music word for word on the radio.

some people will hate the implant with everything they have for the rest of their life, there's no changing that.

While i occasionally hang out w/ a group of deaf friends who are not raised oral, if we go out to eat in mcdonalds or a restraunt, they always make me order for each and every one of them, do all of the talking, and whatnot. Here they are begging me to do all of the talking for them, and they are against oral programs? if thats their way, why are they even asking me for help!? go fiqure - ignorant

I have a few theories on why people hate the CI so much:

1) they can not get the implant for themselves because of special reasons, so they are against it because they cant have it. Jealous type reasons

2) They heard too many Rumors from people who are against it. Personally, I have heard a lot of rumors ranging from the CI broke inside their head and got brain damage, to someone got electricuted and died while taking a shower from the CI. No, im sorry people, thats a rumor.

3) They are not educated on how a Cochlear implant works and think its all bullshit or doesnt work like it says. I have met a lot of people who are "WHY DID U EVEN GET THAT? ITS CRAPPY DEVICE", Well after talking to them for about 20 minutes, they now are impressed and half of the things they said were rumors and the other half was from being uneducated, they didnt know how it worked.

4) they think its the kids choice, not the parents. How many of you had hearing aides growing up?(age: born to 7-8 y\o) Was it your choice or your parents? See? Your parents chose that its best you get hearing aides. Its no different for the cochlear implant. Also thats why they are "parents", its their job to make choices for the kids because the kids are too young and immature to make decisions themselves. Thats why there's age 18 law when parents are no longer responsible. If the kid waits till he is 18, then the kid will hate the cochlear implant because your brain will not adapt to a cochlear implant as well as a 12 month old. hell, even my age 7 was not good enough.

anyway, thats my opinion and observations from having a CI. number 3 and 2 are the biggest faults in the deaf world.

to each his\her own
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http://www.alldeaf.com/showthread.php?t=16314
 
I look at it this way... if I had a child who was blind, cant walk, etc... I would try to find ways medically to help them be able to see or walk. If after we tried they were still unable to walk or see.. fine.. they are the same child I would love more than my own life. Its the same with deafness. It has nothing to do with being against deaf culture...I love asl and started signing with my hearing daughter before my deaf son was born.
Facts show the ealier implanted the higher effectivity.
What if a parent chooses not to implant their eligible child and when they get older they wonder why the parents didnt give them the opportunity?
Its a heart wrenching issue and decision to make as the mother of a deaf child, I can tell you that for sure.
 
If I had a deaf child, I'd implant them in a heartbeat because I want them to have the most opportunities available without having to exclusively rely on ASL or total communication. Don't get me wrong...there's nothing wrong with ASL or TC...I just want my child to have the most opportunities available to him/her for communication. A CI does not prevent a child from using ASL or participating in deaf culture. If my child chose not to wear/use his or her CI at a later time (such as in their teens or 20's) that would be THEIR choice and one I would respect 100%.

Whether a parent chooses to implant their child or not isn't for me to decide. There are too many factors involved and I have no right to tell another parent what is best for their child.
 
Hear Again said:
Whether a parent chooses to implant their child or not isn't for me to decide. There are too many factors involved and I have no right to tell another parent what is best for their child.
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Yes, that's right. I would not influence every parent's decision. I only share my honest opinion with you all what I think of CI. It's up to parents either they are agree with my or other opinions or not.

I do not against CI but I beleive it's child's choice because it's their body, not mine.
 
I agree...I am OK with kids who get very little out of hearing aids being implanted, but when it comes to more ambigious cases I think that audis and other docs should treat the CI as a choice of last resort. Like I wonder if some kids might not get as much benifit out of a BODY WORN aid or those high frequency transponders.
 
Sorry Jennifer - I did not see your thread at the being. I was reading this deaf form really quickly before I am ahead to the meeting.

Here is my comment.... It may becomes heat debate !! :pissed:

The FDA also cautioned that about 2 percent of patients actually suffered worsened hearing after implantation, 5 percent had long-term ear pain and 16 percent reported a permanent feeling of "fullness" in the ear.

From my perspective FDA did not receive fully honest report from Deaf Toddler/adolescents who are suffering headache, fluid leak, and dizzy due to not able to communication. At 18 months old Deaf children will tell us the specification how they feel due to suffer and painful??

I am VERY against for the parents who make the decision for their Deaf/Hard of Hearing children.

I am very disappointed in FDA for not update previously occurring to the youngest children who had failure with their cochlear implants. I heard several children are suffered with headache and fluid leak. They had to removal their CI which their insurance do not coverage that.

I prefer to leave Deaf children alone to explose in ASL as natural their language in sign language. *big sigh*

I do respect for the adults who make the decision. It is their bodies !! I am so sick of hearing to read or rumors that cochlear implants are successful for the Deaf children's speech and language development. Their mental and physical are suffered from the dizzy and headache.

I would not image how many out there innocence Deaf children went through like those symptoms that many hearing/deaf parents are not realized how dangerous for their children.

"there is a problem of language development"!!! Have these money grabbing idiots ever heard of Sign Language? Just more of the typical misinformation from the Biomedical Industries.

The surgerical doctors are not accurately performance on the little kids !Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr parents !!!

I am not going to debate about the children who get their implants ! I may end up punch on the parents's faces ! Keep my 8 fingers and two thumbs under my legs and shut fucking my fingers up !
 
I'm afraid yes, Sabrina.

We have 3 toddlers who died after CI operation.

My hubby talked with CI people in rehab. clinic last April 2005. They all talked about those condition and want to have website to prove everyone but we all can't find it. :( I remember I did linked at former forum early month of 2004 before they closed down. I wish to keep the link in my favorite list. I really never thought that somebody remove link from websites. :ugh:

Most CI people beleive it's child's choice. Check my story in link at my previous post over difference between hearing and CI to hear because the hearing people who lost hearing to deafness thru accidents saying that original hearing and CI to hear are BIG different.

http://www.alldeaf.com/showpost.php?p=339528&postcount=42

Interesting because I alway thought CI is good for people who lost hearing to deafnes.. It's not... :eek:
 
It's really up to the parents on whether they would want their babies or toddlers to have CI implants even through I'm not so thriller about having one on a child that is so young, but since there's proofs showing that it has became successful to those who were implanted in the earlier ages and it will help them developed their speech and language skills and I believe they would have a better life with the use of CI implants that will help them in a long run.....I'm not saying it will help every child, but most yes!

So, it's really not my place to tell a parents what choice they should make regarding their own children and I do hope they make the right choice by seeking more information on the CI implants before going ahead with it....
 
every deaf person i know of that has the CI , is for the parents to choose.

including myself.


if you get any surgery, there's a risk of death. Any surgery includes side effects. Any sugery you get, even something so very minor, can lead to other problems in the future. you guys (expecially you sabrina) act like the CI surgery is the only surgery that includes this. its common sense that if you go into surgery...your at risk. people die for simple things as a liposuction even when the doctors swear nothing will happen.

i have seen about 15 of my friends go from hearing aides to the cochlear implant.

including about 5 toddlers.

not a single one of us got any headaches/mental pains or problems, or physical either. every single one of us is happy and still wearing the cochlear implant and communicating with total communication, and some with just speaking...while using ASL to communicate with the deaf. They can socialize with the deaf AND the hearing world.

kill two birds with 1 stone basicly.

however there is 1 girl in her mid teens who hates the cochlear implant now after implantation. the problem wasnt pain, but that when she put the CI on...she thought she could "hear" with no problems...she had too high expectations, and thought no training would be needed.

thats the fault of the Dr. for not warning her/her parents of the therapy required, and the parents for not doing their research.

im part of the nevada Alexander graham bell association in nevada and i've yet heard of anybody who is in pain or is having problems.

I do know of 1 guy who's clarion failed inside his head. It was simply taken out and a new one was re-attached and he can hear though the CI again. paid for by insurance BTW.

oh..and sabrina
I am VERY SUPPORTIVE for the parents who make the decision for their Deaf/Hard of Hearing children
:booty:
 
Cjanik said:
oh..and sabrina
I am VERY SUPPORTIVE for the parents who make the decision for their Deaf/Hard of Hearing children
:booty:
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For me nope!

I beleive it´s child´s choose because it´s their body, they wear rest of their life. I will be happy to support my children if they want to have CI.
 
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