Ethics for the pediatrician: the evolving ethics of cochlear implants in children.

摘要

A cochlear implant is a small, complex elecffonic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. Implants all have four key components: (1) a microphone, which picks up sound from the environment; (2) a processor, which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone; (3) a transmitter and receiver/stimulator, which converts signals from the processor into electric impulses; and (4) a group of electrodes that sends impulses from the stimulator to different regions of the auditory nerve. After implantation of the device, recipients must undergo an extensive program of speech therapy to learn how to make the implant useful. As of December 2010, ~219,000 people had received implants worldwide, including 71,000 people in the United States, of whom 28,400 were children. (1)