Cochlear implants are a game changer but risks remain

Our son Maclain was born prematurely in August 2007. His recovery from a difficult birth appeared to be going well but while he was being cared for in hospital he developed jaundice and obvious symptoms of bilirubin neurotoxicity, such as lethargy and irritability. This led to Kernicterus, a devastating and preventable condition, leaving him with severe cerebral palsy. 

While he was still in hospital, Maclain failed his newborn hearing screening, but we were not concerned. We were assured the noise of a busy neonatal intensive care unit had likely caused an issue with his results. However, a hearing test a few months later revealed our worst fear – our newborn was diagnosed with a severe hearing loss, and we were told he was deaf. The news hit me harder than Maclain’s eventual diagnosis of cerebral palsy. We were heartbroken.

But we learned about the Hospital for Sick Children’s cochlear implant program which was a game changer and we are grateful Maclain has benefited from them. However, I was shocked to hear news that clinics in Germany and Switzerland found defects in half of cochlear implants. To read more, click here.

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