Cochlear Implants - More Information

The NY Times article in my last post got me thinking about the long-term effects of Cochlear Implants. I decided to investigate a bit further. Here are some things I found:

From the FDA - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/cochlear/riskbenefit.html

Most studies suggest benefits to implanting young children - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12075224?dopt=Abstract

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/01/010105075738.htm

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2005/12_01_05.html (Interesting to note that the study was funded in part by a manufacturer of the implants.)

http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=ORL2006068004237


This topic makes me think of a documentary we watched in the Health Advocacy Program, called the Sound and the Fury. It's a very emotional look at Cochlear Implants and what it means to people who are deaf and to hearing individuals with deaf children.