Cochlear girl
The implants were fitted in both ears of this girl when she was 15 months old, and activated about three weeks later. Image Credit: Supplied

Abu Dhabi: A one-year-old girl with a congenital deformity that impaired her hearing is the latest to receive an electronic cochlear implant at Al Ain’s Tawam Hospital.

The baby was one of nine people who were successfully fitted with the implants since the launch of the programme at the hospital in December 2018.

Diagnosed at birth, she was thoroughly evaluated at the hospital. The implants were fitted in both ears when she was 15 months old, and activated about three weeks later.

“My daughter showed great results, with clear auditory response when operating the cochlear. She is now able to learn new things and does not lag behind her peers in any way. As any parent can understand, we were extremely happy and emotional to hear her voice when she said “Mama and Papa” for the first time. We are thankful to the entire team at Tawam Hospital for their incredible care and support,” her father said.

“An approved treatment method since the 1980s, cochlear implementation achieves excellent results for children when performed at an early age, and is further complemented with post-operative auditory rehabilitation, also offered at Al Ain Hospital,” said Dr Ahmed Al Shamsi, acting division chief of ENT at Tawam.