Stability of residual low-frequency hearing in children with cochlear implants: Insights from contralateral ear trajectories

With expanded candidacy, cochlear implantation candidates increasingly present with residual acoustic hearing. The level and stability of residual hearing is particularly relevant when considering electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS). While adult data suggest relative stability, the natural history of residual hearing in children-who often have distinct and potentially progressive etiologies-remains poorly defined.

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Findings may inform counseling about residual low-frequency hearing preservation in pediatric cochlear implant candidates, but clinical practice changes should await peer review of full results and larger prospective data.

As cochlear implant candidacy criteria expand to include children with more residual hearing, understanding the natural trajectory of that hearing is critical for setting realistic expectations and optimizing device programming strategies.

1. 01Study examined residual low-frequency hearing stability in pediatric cochlear implant candidates.
2. 02Used contralateral (opposite) ear as a proxy to track natural hearing trajectory over time.
3. 03Addresses a gap created by expanded CI candidacy criteria that now include children with acoustic residual hearing.
4. 04Findings could inform pre-surgical counseling and post-implant auditory management.
5. 05Retrospective design using contralateral ear data limits direct causal inference.

PMID

42623716

DOI

10.1016/j.ijporl.2026.112976.

Journal

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Children who are cochlear implant candidates with residual low-frequency hearing

Intervention

Analysis of contralateral ear audiometric trajectories as proxy for residual hearing stability