Summary of longitudinal outcomes of cochlear implantation in children with congenital single-sided deafness in Belgium

Children with single-sided deafness (SSD) experience difficulties with localizing sounds and understanding speech in noisy environments and may also be at risk for speech-language delays. Providing a cochlear implant (CI) at an early age may support performance across multiple domains. Between 2014 and 2024, three groups of children were followed up at regular intervals: children with SSD who had received a CI in the deaf ear at a very early age, children with SSD, and children with bilateral normal hearing. Longitudinal analyses show that the children with SSD who did not receive a CI were at risk for grammar skills, poorer speech perception in noise, sound localization, and verbal IQ. Children with SSD and CI were on par with normal hearing children regarding grammar and speech perception in noise. An overview of the main findings are presented here. These confirm that children with congenital SSD can benefit from a CI provided at an early age to support their development across multiple domains. The longitudinal data led to a federal policy change in health care in Belgium.