There is good news for par- ents who have a child born with significant hearing loss.

Advances in technology are making it possible to address profound hearing loss in chil- dren as young as 12 months of age.

About one of every 1,000 newborns in the U. S.-about 33 babies per day-is born pro- foundly deaf. Fortunately, there are treatment alternatives.

For example, cochlear im- plants are small, complex, im- plantable electronic devices that restore hearing by bypassing the damaged parts of the ear to di- rectly stimulate the auditory nerve.

They may be beneficial to those who cannot hear or under- stand speech well with a hear- ing aid.

Potential advantages of the cochlear implant include better distance hearing, comfortable loudness growth, and clearer, more understandable speech.

Experts say people with co- chlear implants can hold normal conversations, hear in noisy en- vironments such as restaurants, use the telephone, work, partici- pate in sports, attend school and even play musical instruments.

Early screening and imple- mentation of a hearing device, such as a cochlear implant, have medical, financial and social benefits.

"Cochlear implants, coupled with auditory therapy, can help young children more quickly ac- quire the speech, language and social skills needed to success- fully mainstream into regular classrooms with their normal- hearing peers," said Patricia Trautwein, Au.D., director of auditory education and training for Advanced Bionics.

Nearly half of all cochlear implant recipients are children.

Children benefit most from a cochlear implant when their hearing loss is detected in its be- ginning stages and they receive early intervention and treatment.

Adult candidates for a co- chlear implant are most often those who are post-lingually deaf in both ears.

These individuals typically receive limited benefit from hearing aids.

To learn more, visit www.bionicear.com.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.