Deaf infants getting cochlear implants younger than ever

[Miss-Delectable]

Deaf infants getting cochlear implants younger than ever | Dallas - Fort Worth News | wfaa.com | Health News

Surgically implanted electronic devices called cochlear implants help some 200,000 people hear every year.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the implants for children as young as 12 months old. However, some doctors are now going outside FDA recommendations, saying earlier can be even better. Doctors are also implanting cochlear implants in both ears at the same instead of doing them one at a time.

"Then the brain is better able to learn to use both ears together for added benefits such as sound localization, better hearing and background noise, things of that nature." said Dr. Bob Peters, an otolaryngologist at Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas.

While implanting a nine-month old with cochlear implants is still rare in the United States, in Europe infants as young as six months old have received the implants. That knowledge helped Kemper and Helen Johnson decide to get bilateral cochlear implants for their profoundly deaf son, who is just nine months old.

"I'm sure he could live a happy life as a deaf person," Mr. Johnson said. "But, any advantage we can give him to hear and to go to normal schools, we wanted to take that opportunity.

Kemper Johnson Jr. was the youngest child to be implanted with a cochlear implant at Forest Park Medical Center.

His parents hope their son will grow up never knowing anything except the gifts of sound.

 

[Bebonang]

 

[Juli-terp-to-be]

I hate it when the father kept saying 'normal'. His child was born deaf. He was naturally nomal. Abnormal is putting an electronic device in the infant's head to make him hear.

 

[shel90]

"I'm sure he could live a happy life as a deaf person," Mr. Johnson said. "But, any advantage we can give him to hear and to go to normal schools, we wanted to take that opportunity.

That is an insult to those who go to deaf schools or are in deaf programs. Sure, they are abnormal. :roll:

Stupid asshole.

 

[Juli-terp-to-be]

"I'm sure he could live a happy life as a deaf person," Mr. Johnson said. "But, any advantage we can give him to hear and to go to normal schools, we wanted to take that opportunity.

That is an insult to those who go to deaf schools or are in deaf programs. Sure, they are abnormal. :roll:

Stupid asshole.

Great minds think alike Shel. That was what ticked me off about the father also.

 

[rockdrummer]

"I'm sure he could live a happy life as a deaf person," Mr. Johnson said. "But, any advantage we can give him to hear and to go to normal schools, we wanted to take that opportunity.

That is ignorant.

 

[Lighthouse77]

What's normal?

 

[DGirl101]

"I'm sure he could live a happy life as a deaf person," Mr. Johnson said. "But, any advantage we can give him to hear and to go to normal schools, we wanted to take that opportunity.

:jaw:

Oh yeah...an asshole through and through. Just like my ex hubby who said I was not normal like everyone else, day after day.

 

[Frisky Feline]

they need to be careful using with words "normal" if they say that then things wouldn't go normal what they thought it should be. it could leads to a disappointment. oh well

 

[Mrs Bucket]

This is where cultural sensitivity really comes in.

"normal" -

nor⋅mal  [nawr-muhl] Show IPA
Use normal in a Sentence
–adjective
1. conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.
2. serving to establish a standard.
3. Psychology.
a. approximately average in any psychological trait, as intelligence, personality, or emotional adjustment.
b. free from any mental disorder; sane.
4. Biology, Medicine/Medical.
a. free from any infection or other form of disease or malformation, or from experimental therapy or manipulation.
b. of natural occurrence.

The baby was not born normal therefore for the parents to assume a CI will reinstate the state of normalcy for their child is hilarious.

 

[Foxrac]

Not surprised because hearing parents with no experience about deaf babies would say like that.

I hopefully this baby's CI surgery is going smooth without expose to meningitis.

I noticed that more deaf babies who born in 2000's are receive CI than any babies that born in 1980's and 1990's, even I know some HoH babies got CI instead of try new hearing aids.

 

[TXgolfer]

I agree

I hate it when the father kept saying 'normal'. His child was born deaf. He was naturally nomal. Abnormal is putting an electronic device in the infant's head to make him hear.

I strongly agree

"I'm sure he could live a happy life as a deaf person," Mr. Johnson said. "But, any advantage we can give him to hear and to go to normal schools, we wanted to take that opportunity.

That is an insult to those who go to deaf schools or are in deaf programs. Sure, they are abnormal. :roll:

Stupid asshole.

I strongly agree

 

[deafdyke]

It's very sad. Many parents who chose oral only are still grieving. THESE parents are. It's SO freaking obvious that they never knew dhh kids.

 

[Pinky]

It's not sad. That's good for baby to hear with CI. You guys shouldn't judge on baby's parent's decide. It's their decide. We can't change them. That's stupid to be pissed off at them. :roll: You don't need to debate with me.

 

[LakeTahoe]

I had to disagreed with that parent because their child was forced to get CI. I rather to let the child make a decision not ours. I also felt that doctor brainwash parent cuz of MOOLA! Asshole doctors who are greedy!

 

[Lighthouse77]

It's not sad. That's good for baby to hear with CI. You guys shouldn't judge on baby's parent's decide. It's their decide. We can't change them. That's stupid to be pissed off at them. :roll: You don't need to debate with me.

What is the opposite of normal? and what is this father's view of what normal is? It appears to me that this father judge deaf people and deaf school and making it seem abnormal.

 

[faire_jour]

What is wrong with giving a child the opportunity to hear?

Normal is a bad word to use. Better would have been "neighborhood school". The father is an an asshole, he simply chose a poor word.

And Julie, if you want to be an interpreter, perhaps you should refrain from calling a large part of the Deaf community "abnormal" for their, or their parents choice to give them an implant. It is incredibly offensive.

 

[faire_jour]

What is the opposite of normal? and what is this father's view of what normal is? It appears to me that this father judge deaf people and deaf school and making it seem abnormal.

Going to a deaf school is very far from average. In fact, a very tiny percentage of people ever attend a deaf school, therefore it would be "abnormal" meaning outside the average. Doesn't mean it's bad. Having an IQ of 175 is abnormal, but not bad.

 

[Lighthouse77]

Going to a deaf school is very far from average. In fact, a very tiny percentage of people ever attend a deaf school, therefore it would be "abnormal" meaning outside the average. Doesn't mean it's bad. Having an IQ of 175 is abnormal, but not bad.

you know very well what the father mean. Deaf and deaf school is not good enough for him.

 

[KristinaB]

In my mind, it is reprehensible!! This is an infant we are talking about. What if the child grows up and is upset with parents for doing this to him? What's he to do then? Yeah he could turn them off or whatever you do, but it's still there and it's still major surgery for something that is not considered life-threatening.