Description:
ObjectivesEvaluate health‐related quality‐of‐life (HRQoL) measures in noncommunicative, neurologically impaired, developmentally delayed (NCNIDD) children compared to normally developing children (ND) who undergo cochlear implantation (CI).Study DesignCross‐sectional survey of parents of NCNIDD and ND children who underwent CI.SettingTwo tertiary care medical centers.MethodsQuestions comprising the Children With Cochlear Implants: Parental Perspectives survey were used in analysis. Average responses were calculated within 8 domains (communication, general functioning, self‐reliance, well‐being and happiness, social relationships, education, effects of implantation, and support the child). Groups were compared using Wilcoxon rank‐sum test. Impact of individual and collective socioeconomic/family covariates was assessed using analysis of variance.ResultsSurveys were returned from 17 of 42 (40%) patients with NCNIDD and 35 of 131 (27%) patients with ND. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in survey response rate, age, sex, age at implantation, current age, or duration of implant use. Overall, parents of children with ND responded more favorably in all domains vs children with NCNIDD. Parents of children with NCNIDD answered neutrally or favorably in all domains, except “support the child” and “self‐reliance” domains. Differences between groups in mean domain scores, univariably and almost universally when adjusting for socioeconomic and family variables individually and collectively, were statistically significant.ConclusionsThis study suggests that HRQoL benefits of CI are perceived in most domains by parents of children with NCNIDD, albeit less strongly than children with ND. A survey sensitive to challenges of children with NCNIDD may better capture benefits that may not be apparent in this study.