Hearing Outcomes in Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss. The Benefits of Rehabilitative Strategies: Preliminary Results

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Unilateral hearing loss (UHL) is a relatively common disability condition comprising around 20-50% of all congenital hearing loss (HL). The adverse effects of UHL affect the typical development of auditory function with implications for communication, speech and language acquisition, academic development and quality of life. Current literature suggests an early intervention treatment in order to avoid developmental delays, but there is a lack of evidence about the effectiveness and use of hearing devices. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the benefits of rehabilitative strategies such as hearing aid (HA) and cochlear implant (CI) in UHL children by exploring audiological and parent-reported outcomes. Methods: A total of 18 UHL children, between the ages of 3 and 17, were enrolled in the study designed as a prospective longitudinal study from July 2023 to July 2024. All children were evaluated for speech perception in quiet and noise and subjective benefits before and after rehabilitative treatment with HA in 15 (83.3%) children and with CI in 3 (16.7%) children. Results: The evaluation of audiological outcomes in children with UHL, based on assessment of aided sound field thresholds and speech perception scores assessment versus unaided, shows improvements in audiometric thresholds and how the hearing devices adequately support listening and spoken language. Scores with hearing devices were significantly higher than baseline-only scores when averaging both SSQ and CHILD questionnaires, pointing to an overall rehabilitative benefit. Conclusions: Rehabilitative interventions, particularly HA and CI, offer notable benefits when introduced early, but achieving optimal outcomes requires a multidisciplinary and individualized approach.

Keywords: amplification; children; cochlear implant; hearing aid; single side deafness; unilateral hearing loss.

Figure 1

Results of SSQ and CHILD questionnaire for parents. (a) SSQ questionnaire; (b) CHILD questionnaire. The lines in the box represent the Mean, while the “x” represents the Median. The orange and blue dots are outliers.