Functional and Speech Outcome of Unilaterally Cochlear Implanted Children after 1 year of Implantation in NIENT: A Retrospective Study

Hearing loss can be congenital or acquired. Most of the time congenital hearing loss means profound sensorineural hearing loss. The invention of cochlear implantation has already an established role in improving the hearing capability in congenital sensorineural hearing loss. To speak properly after cochlear implant, one needs to go for speech therapy or audio-verbal therapy. Speech therapy has become an integral part of the cochlear implantation program. In Bangladesh cochlear implantation (CI) programs started around 15 years ago, which was limited to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Combined Military Hospital (CMH). Our government takes initiative to provide this service to poor and lower income people. National Institute of ENT (NIENT) was the first government hospital where CI started in 2018 and the project is now ongoing. After CI auditory, verbal therapy (AVT) was given at the same institute. No study has not been done to find out the outcome of AVT. NIENT has taken steps to find out the functional and speech outcome of cochlear implanted children considering the two standard criteria: CAP and SIR score. This retrospective study was done to find out the auditory verbal outcome of unilaterally CI children in different ages and conducted at department of Audiology, National Institute of ENT, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2021 to June 2021. The children who underwent cochlear implants and took the auditory verbal therapy were included in this study. Though it is a retrospective study, a written informed consent has been taken from the patient's parents as the cases are minor in age. From the record review, CAP and SIR scores were recorded four times: before implantation 1 time, after cochlear implantation 3 times (At the end of 3, 6 and 12 months after starting of AVT of Cochlear implantees). From the study it has been observed that out of 50 implantees, 48.0% of children's age range was in between >3 to ≤5 years. Most of the implantees were from rural areas and also from lower income group. The study showed significant association with CAP and SIR score at the end of one year of AVT. No significant association was found in different age groups with scores of CAP and SIR. But the parent's education showed significant association with CAP score at the end one year of AVT. Though the age of the recipient is not significantly associated with the AVT outcome but maternal education plays an important role in improving CAP and SIR score. So, maternal education or understanding along with professional speech therapy is vital for better AVT outcome.