Longitudinal Developmental Outcomes and Early Cochlear Implantation Benefits in Children with Prelingual Single-Sided Deafness: Evidence Synthesis and Clinical Recommendations

Highlights

• Children with prelingual single-sided deafness (SSD) face deficits in speech perception in noise, sound localization, and verbal cognition if untreated.
• Early cochlear implantation (CI) before 2.5 years significantly improves spatial hearing abilities and verbal intelligence quotient (IQ), normalizing performance relative to bilateral normal-hearing peers.
• CIs in SSD facilitate typical longitudinal developmental trajectories across auditory, cognitive, and balance domains without adverse effects on postural control.
• Guidelines for clinical follow-up and individualized rehabilitation protocols are essential to optimize long-term outcomes in children with SSD receiving early CI.

Background