The purpose of this study was (1) to determine benefit of the Baha Softband coupled to the Softband for infants and children with bilateral conductive hearing loss; and (2) to verify audibility of the speech spectrum for octave frequencies 500 through 4000 Hz.
Design
The research design for this retrospective chart study is pretest-posttest repeated measures.
Setting
The study was conducted in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Arkansas Children's Hospital.
Participants
Twenty-five children aged 6 months to 18 years with craniofacial disorders and bilateral conductive hearing loss participated in the study. Participants were consistent, full-time unilateral Baha users with the Baha Compact bone-conduction amplifier coupled to the head via the Softband.
Interventions
The intervention was the Baha device coupled to the head via the Softband as a prerequisite to surgical implantation.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
The primary study outcome measures used aided and unaided soundfield audiometric thresholds to calculate functional gain. Audibility of the speech spectrum was verified by comparison with target aided thresholds.
Results
Results revealed an improvement in soundfield thresholds with Baha amplification for the four octave frequencies. Means, standard deviations, and confidence intervals for aided and unaided thresholds are reported. Percentages of thresholds meeting target levels were significant at all frequencies, exceeding the 80% criterion.
Conclusions
Benefit of the Baha in providing audibility of the speech spectrum for infants and children with bilateral congenital conductive hearing loss has been demonstrated, offering important and timely data supporting third-party reimbursement.
American Academy of Audiology.2003 pediatric amplification protocol. Available at http://www.audiology.org. Accessed October 22, 2007.
2.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI).Specifications for Audiometers (ANSI S3.6-1996).New York: ANSI;1996.
3.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Guidelines for Audiological Assessment of Children From Birth to 5 Years of Age [guidelines]. 2004. Available at http://www.asha.org/policy.
4.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Guidelines for Manual Pure-Tone Audiometry [guidelines]. 2005. Available at http://www.asha.org/policy.
5.
BurnJ., GoodshipJ.Developmental genetics of the heart. Curr Opin Genet Dev.1993; 6: 322–325.
6.
CarhartR., JergerJ.A preferred method for the clinical determination of pure-tone thresholds. J Speech Hear Dis.1959; 24: 333–345.
DigilioM.C., PacificoC., TieriL., MarinoB., GiannottiA., DallapiccolaB.Audiological findings in patients with microdeletion 22q11 (di George/velocardiofacial syndrome). Br J Audiol.1999; 33: 329–333.
9.
DriscollD.A., BudarfM.L., EmanuelB.S.A genetic etiology for DiGeorge syndrome: consistent deletions and microdeletions of 22q11. Am J Human Genet.1992a; 50: 924–933.
10.
DriscollD.A., SalvinJ., SellingerB., BudarfM.L., McDonald-McGinnD.M., ZackaiE.H., EmanuelB.S.Prevalence of 22q11 microdeletions in DiGeorge and velocardiofacial syndromes: implications for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis. J Med Genet.1993; 30: 813–817.
11.
DriscollD.A., SpinnerN.B., BudarfM.L., McDonald-McGinnD.M., ZackaiE.H., GoldbergR.B., ShprintzenR.J., SaalH.M., ZonanaJ., JonesM.C.Deletions and microdeletions of 22q11.2 in velo-cardio-facial syndrome. Am J Med Genet.1992b; 44: 261–268.
12.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Summary of Safety and Effectiveness [bilateral fitting] K984162. June 28, 1999. Available at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf/k984162.pdf. Accessed October 22, 2007.
13.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Summary of Safety and Effectiveness [5 years of age and older] K011438. July 2, 2001. Available at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf/k011438.pdf Accessed October 22, 2007.
14.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Summary of Safety and Effectiveness [initial FDA approval] K955713. December 15, 1995. Available at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf/K955713.pdf. Accessed October 22, 2007.
15.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Summary of Safety and Effectiveness [single sided deafness] K021837. June 30, 2002. Available at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf2/k021837.pdf. Accessed October 22, 2007.
16.
FrankT.ANSI update: specification of audiometers. Am J Audiol.1997; 6(3): 29–32.
17.
GranströmG., BergströmK., OdersjöM., TjellströmA.Osseointegrated implants in children: experience from our first 100 patients. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.2001; 125: 85–92.
18.
GoldmuntzE., DriscollD., BudarfM.L., ZackaiE.H., McDonald-McGinnD.M., BiegelJ.A., EmanuelB.S.Microdeletions of chromosomal region 22q11 in patients with congenital conotruncal cardiac defects. J Med Genet.1993; 30: 807–812.
19.
HåkanssonB., TjellströmA., RosenhallU., CarlssonP.The bone-anchored hearing aid. Principal design and a psychoacoustical evaluation. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh).1985; 100: 229–239.
20.
HandzicJ., BagatinM., SuboticR., CukV.Hearing levels in Pierre Robin syndrome. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.1995; 32: 30–36.
21.
HolM.K., CremersC.W., Coppens-SchellenkensW., SnikA.F.The BAHA Softband: A new treatment for young children with bilateral congenital aural atresia. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol.2005; 69: 973–980.
22.
Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH).Year 2000 position statement: principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Pediatrics.2000; 106: 798–817.
23.
Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH).Year 2007 position statement: principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Pediatrics.2007; 107: 898–921.
24.
JonesK. (2006). Smith's Recognizable Patterns of Human Malformations.Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders.
25.
LustigL.R., ArtsH.A., BrackmannD.E., FrancisH.F., MolonyT., MegerianC.A.. Hearing rehabilitation using the BAHA bone-anchored hearing aid: results in 40 patients. Otol Neurotol.2001; 22: 328–334.
26.
MatsuokaR., TakaoA., KimuraM., ImamuraS., KondoC., Joh-oK., IkedaK., NishibatakeM., AndoM., MommaK.Confirmation that the conotruncal anomaly face syndrome is associated with a deletion within 22q11.2. Am J Med Genet.1994; 53: 285–289.
27.
McDonald-McGinnD.M., DriscollD.A., BasonL., ChristensenK., LynchD., SullivanK., CanningD., ZavodW., QuinnN., RomeJ.Autosomal dominant “Opitz” GBBB syndrome due to a 22q11.2 deletion. Am J Med Genet.1995; 59: 103–113.
28.
MooreJ.M., WilsonW.R., ThompsonG.Visual reinforcement of head-turn responses in infants under12 months of age. J Speech Hear Disord.1977; 4: 328–334.
OrvidasL.J., FabryL.B., DiacovaS., McDonaldT.J.Hearing and otopathology in Crouzon syndrome. Br J Audiol.1999; 109: 1372–1375.
31.
PeckJ.Behavioral principles for pediatric audiologists. Audiol Today.2007; 19(4): 39–42.
32.
PowellR.H., BurrellS.P., CooperH.R., ProopsD.W.The Birmingham bone anchored hearing aid programme: paediatric experience and results. J Laryngol Otol Suppl.1996; 21: 21–29.
33.
PrimusM.A., ThompsonG.Response strength of young children in operant audiometry. J Speech Hear Res.1985; 28: 539–547.
34.
PronG., GallowayC., ArmstrongD., PosnickJ.Ear malformations and hearing loss in patients with Treacher Collins syndrome. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.1993; 30: 97–103.
35.
RahbarR., RobsonC.D., MullikenJ.B., SchwartzL., DicanzioJ., KennaM.A., McGillT.J., HealyG.B.Craniofacial, temporal bone, and audiologic abnormalities in the spectrum of hemifacial microsomia. Arch Otolaryngol.2007; 127: 265–271.
RobinN.H., ShprintzenR.J.Defining the clinical spectrum of deletion 22q11.2. J Pediatr.2005; 147: 90–96.
38.
Smith-OlindeL., NicholsonN., ChiversC., HighleyP.Test-retest reliability of in situ unaided thresholds in adults. Am J Audiol.2006; 15: 75–80.
39.
SnikA.F., BosmanA.J., MylanusE.A., CremersC.W.Candidacy for the bone-anchored hearing aid. Audiol Neurotol.2004; 9: 190–196.
40.
SnikA.F., MylanusE.A., ProopsD.W., WolfaardtJ.F., HodgettsW.E., SomersT.Consensus statements on the BAHA system: where do we stand at present?Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol.2005; 195: 2–12.
41.
SolotC., KnightlyC., HandlerS., GerdesM., McDonald-McGinnD., MossE., WangP., ZackaiE.Communication disorders in the 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome. J Commun Disord.2000; 33: 187–204.
42.
ThompsonG., WilsonW.R., MooreJ.M.Application of visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) to low-functioning children. J Speech Hear Disord.1979; 44: 80–90.
43.
TietzeL., PapsinB.Utilization of bone-anchored hearing aids in children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol.2001; 58: 75–80.
44.
TjellströmA., HåkanssonB.The bone-anchored hearing aid. Design principles, indications, and long-term clinical results. Otolaryngol Clin North Am.1995; 28: 53–72.
45.
TjellströmA., HåkanssonB., GranströmG.Bone-anchored hearing aids: current status in adults and children. Otolaryngol Clin North Am.2001; 34: 337–364.
46.
Vallino-NapoliL.D.Audiologic and otologic characteristics of Pfeiffer syndrome. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.1996; 33: 524–529.
47.
VendraminiS., CostaA., Guion-AlmeidaM.Oculoauriculovertebral spectrum with radial defects: a new syndrome or an extension of the oculoauriculovertebral spectrum? Report of fourteen Brazilian cases and review of the literature. Eur J Human Genet.2007; 15: 411–421.
48.
WidenJ.E.Adding objectivity to infant behavioral audiometry. Ear Hear.1993; 14(1): 49–57.
49.
WidenJ.E., FolsomR.C., Cone-WessonB., CartyL., DunnellJ.J., KoebsellK.. (2000). Identification of neonatal hearing impairment: hearing status at 8–12 months corrected age using a visual reinforcement audiometry protocol. Ear Hear.2000; 21: 471–487.
50.
WilsonW.R.Behavioral assessment of auditory function in infants. In: MinnifeF.D., LloydL.L., eds. Communicative and Cognitive Abilities: Early Behavioral Assessment.Baltimore: University Park Press;1978.
51.
Yoshinaga-ItanoC.Early intervention after universal neonatal hearing screening: impact on outcomes. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev.2003; 9: 252–266.
