Enhanced Parent-child Interaction and Language Development during COVID-19 Quarantine in Children with Cochlear Implants

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: The study aimed to assess how the COVID-19 quarantine affected parent-child interaction (PCI) in children with cochlear implants (CI) and to investigate the role of parental knowledge in the early language development for these children. Methods: We conducted our survey primarily utilizing social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to recruit participants. A total of 40 parents took part in the study, with a majority being females (70%) under the age of 44 years. Most of the children with CIs (87.5%) were under the age of 10 years. Around 67.5% (n = 27) received bilateral implants, while 32.5% of children had unilateral CI The parents filled out a questionnaire which had five domains, and responses related to demographic information, PCI, and the child’s communication skills were recorded. Results: Our statistical analysis, using paired t-tests, revealed a significant and positive impact of the quarantine period on both PCI (P = 0.001, t = 6.50) and the communication skills of the children (P = 0.001, t = 3.77). A simple linear regression analysis indicated that parental knowledge did not significantly affect PCI (R 2 = 0.003; P = 0.73). PCI accounted for 14% of the variation in children’s communication skills (P = 0.01). Conclusions: In conclusion, our study sheds a light on the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on the quality of PCI in children with CIs. The findings underscore the resilience and adaptability of both parents and children facing challenging circumstances. Notably, the increased quality and duration of time spent together allowed for enhanced PCI and subsequently led to improvements in the communication skills of the children.