The Birmingham bone anchored hearing aid programme: paediatric experience and results

Abstract

AbstractOver a five-year period, 34 patients have been referred to the Birmingham bone anchored hearing aid programme, paediatric section, of whom 21 are now wearing the bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) and four are awaiting surgery for fitting of the BAHA. Of the patients assessed, found to be suitable and who proceeded to surgery for the BAHA, 44 per cent had Treacher Collins syndrome, 28 per cent had bilateral atresia or microtia, 16 per cent had Goldenhaar's syndrome, four per cent (one patient) had branchio-oto-renal syndrome and eight per cent had chronic suppurative otitis media. This paper presents objective and subjective data collected from these patients. It is shown that the BAHA is a very effective hearing aid for children with congenital hearing loss.