Cochlear Implants in Young Children With SSD

To be eligible to participate in this trial as a study subject, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: 1. Provision of signed and dated parental permission form 2. Unilateral severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, congenital or acquired prior to the age of 2 years, defined as: 1. Unaided residual hearing thresholds that yield a 3 frequency pure tone average (PTA; average at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz) of ≥70 dB hearing loss (HL) in the ear to be implanted 2. Hearing thresholds in the contralateral ear of ≤20 dB HL (3 frequency PTA of 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz). i. Thresholds should be measured using inserts wherever possible, or in the sound field to record the better-hearing ear alone. Required thresholds will include 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz for air conduction. All other octave frequencies should be attempted. Bone conduction thresholds should be obtained at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz. Masking should be attempted where appropriate. As participants are very young and masking is difficult for this population, suspected shadow audiograms will be sufficient if objective testing has confirmed a severe-to-profound unilateral hearing loss. Testing should confirm a severe-to-profound hearing loss, defined as a 3-frequency PTA (500, 1000, and 2000) \>70 dB HL in one ear and ≤20 dB HL in the contralateral ear. The Primary Investigator and Lead Diagnostic Audiologist must agree on this diagnosis for enrollment. 3. Insufficient functional access …