Objectives: To systematically review the literature on the audiological and/or quality of life benefits of a bone conduction hearing aid (BCHA) in children with congenital unilateral conductive or sensorineural deafness.
Methods: A systematic search was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines using the PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases. Data were collected on the following outcomes of interest: speech reception threshold, speech discrimination, sound localization, and quality of life measures. Given the heterogeneity of the data for quantitative analysis, the results are qualitatively summarized.
Results: Eight studies were included in the review. Four studies examined the audiological outcomes associated with bone conduction hearing aid implantation. There was a consistent gain in speech reception thresholds and speech discrimination, especially in noisy environments. Results pertaining to sound localization was inconsistent. The studies that examined quality of life measures reported a high usage rate of BCHAs among children. Quality of life improvements are reported with suggested benefit in the subdomain of learning.
Conclusion: Given the potential benefits of a BCHA, along with the fact that it can be safely trialed using a headband, it is reasonable to trial a BCHA in children with congenital unilateral deafness. Should the trial offer audiological and/or quality of life benefits for the individual child, then BCHA implantation can be considered.
Keywords: Bone conduction hearing aid; Soft band; Unilateral deafness/hearing loss.
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