Hearing aids are designed to amplify sound, but often this is not enough to make it any clearer or easier to understand for people with severe or profound hearing loss. Cochlear implants bypass the damaged part of the ear, sending sound directly to the hearing nerve, where it’s relayed to the brain. Most cochlear implant recipients demonstrate improvement in their ability to understand speech, even in noisy environments, compared to hearing aid wearers.

The most commonly recommended treatment for hearing loss is a hearing aid. A hearing aid amplifies sound or, more simply, makes sound louder. By amplifying sound, any remaining, healthy sensory cells in the ear are stimulated to transmit sound information to the auditory nerve and brain. Making sound louder cannot always overcome the damage to or loss of sensory cells in the inner ear, which means that sounds and speech may not be understood or even detected at all with powerful hearing aids. In these cases, cochlear implants can be a much more effective solution for adults and children with severe or profound hearing loss.

If your child failed a newborn hearing screening test and still struggles to hear with hearing aids, they may be a candidate for cochlear implants. Take the candidacy quiz and consult with your hearing healthcare professional to determine whether cochlear implants are the right choice to treat your child’s hearing loss.

Young children can be implanted as young as 12 months of age, depending on their health, the cause of their hearing loss, and other factors. Early implantation provides your child access to hearing voices and speech, which is critical in developing strong language and speech skills. Take the candidacy quiz and consult with your hearing healthcare professional to determine whether cochlear implants are the right choice to treat your child’s hearing loss.