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Objectives: Universal newborn hearing screening has been implemented to detect permanent childhood hearing loss (PCHL) early, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes through early treatment. However, there is disagreement between studies on the size of this benefit and in some cases whether it is significantly different from 0. There have been no studies of sufficient size in which researchers have determined reliably whether the effect varies with degree of PCHL. We aimed to explore how intervention timing influences 5-year language in children with PCHL., Methods: Via a prospective study of 350 children, we used standard multiple regression analyses to investigate the effect of age at intervention or hearing screening on language outcomes after allowing for the effects of nonverbal IQ, degree of PCHL, sex, birth weight, maternal education, additional disabilities, and communication mode., Results: The benefit of early intervention for language development increased as hearing loss increased. Children whose amplification started at age 24 months had poorer language than those whose amplification started at 3 months. The difference was larger for 70-dB HL (-11.8 score points; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: -18.7 to -4.8) than for 50-dB HL (-6.8; 95% CI: -10.8 to -2.8). Children who received cochlear implants at 24 months had poorer language than those implanted at 6 months (-21.4; 95% CI: -33.8 to -9.0). There was no significant effect of screening on outcomes., Conclusions: Early intervention improves language outcomes, thereby lending support to streamlining clinical pathways to ensure early amplification and cochlear implantation after diagnosis., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Objectives: This paper compares language development and speech perception of children with bimodal fitting (a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the opposite ear) or bilateral cochlear implantation., Methods: Participants were children enrolled in the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment study. Language development was assessed at 3 years of age using standardized tests. Speech perception was evaluated at 5 years of age. Speech was presented from a frontal loudspeaker, and babble noise was presented either from the front or from both sides., Results: On average, there was no significant difference in language outcomes between 44 children with bimodal fitting and 49 children with bilateral cochlear implants; after controlling for a range of demographic variables. Earlier age at cochlear implant activation was associated with better outcomes. Speech perception in noise was not significantly different between children with bimodal fitting and those with bilateral cochlear implants. Compared to normal-hearing children, children with cochlear implants required a better signal-to-noise ratio to perform at the same level, but demonstrated spatial release from masking of a similar magnitude., Conclusions: This population-based study found that language scores for children with bilateral implants were higher than those with bimodal fitting or those with unilateral implants, but neither reached significance level.

Objective: To determine the effect of nonlinear frequency compression (NLFC) on children's development of speech and language at three years of age., Design: A randomized controlled trial was conducted as part of the population-based longitudinal study on outcomes of children with hearing impairment (LOCHI). Participants were randomly assigned to fitting with NLFC (Phonak Naida V SP or UP) or with conventional processing in hearing aids, prescribed by using either the NAL or the DSL formula. Standardized tests of speech production, receptive and expressive language were administered, and parent ratings were collected. All assessments were double-blinded., Study Sample: Participants were 44 of the 450 children in the LOCHI cohort., Results: Compared to children using conventional processing, receptive and expressive language was higher but receptive vocabulary and consonant articulation scores were lower for children who use NLFC. There was increased substitution of affricates by fricatives for children using NLFC, compared to children using conventional amplification. After allowing for the effect of multiple demographic variables, the difference in global language scores between groups was not significant (effect: 0.8 [95% confidence interval: - 6.7, 8.3])., Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to indicate a difference in language ability between children using NLFC and those using conventional amplification.

Unlabelled: PROBLEM/OBJECTIVES: Permanent childhood hearing loss has major negative impacts on children's health and development. To improve outcomes, universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) has been implemented widely. However, high-quality evidence on its efficacy was lacking. To address this evidence gap, we conducted the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI) study to directly compare outcomes of early- and late-identified children. This paper investigates whether early performance measured shortly after initial amplification predicts language development at 3 years of age., Methodology: This is a prospective, population-based study. We assessed outcomes at 6- and 12-months after amplification, and then at 3 and 5 years of age. Main outcome measures included directly-assessed language, receptive vocabulary, speech production; and parent-reported functional performance in everyday life. A range of demographic and audiological information was also collected at evaluation intervals., Results: About 450 children participated, and 3-year outcomes scores were available for 356 participants. Multiple regression analysis revealed that early language scores or functional performance ratings were significant predictors of 3-year outcomes. Other significant predictors included the presence or absence of additional disabilities, severity of hearing loss, and age at cochlear implant activation., Conclusions: Early performance, either directly-assessed language ability (PLS-4) or parent-reported functional ratings (PEACH), were significant predictors of 3-year outcomes; along with presence or absence of additional disabilities, severity of hearing loss, and age at CI activation. Earlier implantation is possible with early detection of hearing loss via UNHS. Monitoring performance after initial amplification allows preventive strategies to be implemented early to improve outcomes.