All ears for kids with hearing impairment

Extending support: Filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli and music composer
M.M. Keeravani attend the Cochlear Implant Champions Meet at
KIMS Hospitals in Hyderabad on Sunday. 

15.10.2018
Tollywood legends, director S.S. Rajamouli and music composer M.M. Keeravani, cheered on a group of children, some of whom recently got the gift of hearing, in the city on Sunday.

The meeting was organised at KIMS Hospital, Secunderabad, where about 50 of the 70 kids had undergone surgery, as part of an awareness programme on cochlear implants that involves an artificial hearing device in the inner ear to rectify hearing impairment in children.

Lack of awareness

At the event, Mr. Rajamouli said despite government schemes that support cochlear implant, most parents do not have their children undergo the surgery.

“A child born with congenital deafness suffers hearing loss, but this condition has way more effects on the life of a child. Children with hearing loss experience disadvantages at school, higher education and later in their professional life. This hindrance can be taken care if they get cochlear implants at the right age. This awareness program will help many of the hearing impaired who may not be aware of cochlear implant technology,” he pointed out, adding that he plans to start an awareness campaign on Twitter soon.

Expressing similar concerns, Mr. Keeravani said, “Every parent wants their child to grow up to their full potential. Hearing problem in children can be common. But, with cochlear implant technology, most of these kids can hear again. They can start attending mainstream schools, read and speak like their friends, and enjoy music. These children can experience life to the fullest,” he said.

Early intervention
Doctors performing the surgery said cochlear implants are successful especially if it is done before the child attains the age of three, and is most effective if done before the child turns 18 months.

Dr. Janardhan Rao Jagini, consultant ENT at KIMS Hospitals, shared some statistics: In India, 63 million people (6.3% of the population) suffer from significant auditory loss. Six in every 1,000 children suffer from severe to profound hearing loss; and over one lakh babies are born with hearing deficiency every year. “Children with severe to profound hearing loss need to be identified as early as possible and most of them may need cochlear implant surgery within 12 months of their age. Age of their implantation plays a major role in development of their speech and language skills. If nothing is done, these kids grow up as deaf and mute and communicate through sign language”.

For better results with cochlear implants, it’s better to identify the problem as early as possible and conduct the cochlear implant surgery within 12 months of age, Shiva Prasad, audiologist and clinical specialist in cochlear implants, said.

Cochlear implants have two components, including a titanium device which is implanted in the inner ear and an external part placed either behind the ear or on the scalp. The two components are connected with each other using a magnet.

They bypass the normal hearing process and replace it with electric hearing. That means the sensation of sound comes from electric signals which directly stimulate the auditory nerve. After the surgery, children need speech and language therapy to hear, understand and speak.