Bone Conduction Devices for Children’s Hearing Loss

Our team of SSM Health pediatric audiologists are eager to find the most effective solution for your child’s hearing loss. With an extensive record of restoring hearing to children of all ages, we are experts in several treatment options including bone conduction devices.

Bone conduction devices are used for the treatment of hearing loss in children and adults who suffer from chronic ear infections, atresia, conductive hearing loss, or single-sided deafness. A bone conduction device could be placed behind the non-functioning ear and would allow sound to be conducted through vibration to the mastoid bone. Bone conduction devices can be worn on a surgically implanted site or on a headband that holds the device in place against the child’s head.

After thoroughly evaluating your child’s hearing condition, our audiologists will explain the benefits and risks of various treatment options. Due to the softer bone and thinner skulls of children, the FDA has not approved the surgical bone conduction implant procedure for children less than five years of age. Babies and young children, however, can be fitted with a bone conduction device placed comfortably around the head with an elastic band and plastic snap.

Bone Conduction Devices for Single-Sided Deafness

Children affected with single-sided deafness are left without adequate hearing. Single-sided deafness can cause various problems, including difficulty understanding speech in the presence of background noise, an inability to decide where a sound is coming from, and increased fatigue or tiredness from working hard to listen all day. Surgical placement of a bone conduction device can result in transmission of sound from the side of the non-functioning ear, helping decrease listening difficulties associated with single-sided deafness.

Bone Conduction Devices for Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive, or mixed hearing loss, can be the result of a chronic ear infection or ear malformation. A bone conduction device helps resolve these issues by bypassing any problems in the ear canal or middle ear and enhancing the sound quality so that clarity and volume are maintained.