Surgery and Functional Outcomes in Deaf Children Receiving Cochlear Implants Before Age 2 Years

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Abstract
IN 1995 the US National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on Cochlear Implants1 lowered the age limit to 2 years for cochlear implantation. The major concerns in relation to implantation in younger children include: (1) the relatively small size of the skull and its growth in young children, with potential surgical difficulties of access and a possible increase in surgical risk (later complications of electrode displacement); (2) the high prevalence of otitis media in this age group and its subsequent related complications; and (3) difficulties in rehabilitation.