Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- A device that helps deaf children may be even more effective when two of them are used.
Cochlear implants are small electronic devices that help those with severe hearing loss to process sounds.
In the United States, more than 28,000 children have them.
A study in the Archives of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, finds that deaf children with one cochlear implant enjoyed improved speech, hearing and quality of life after getting a second implant for the other.
Dutch researchers studied 30 children with one cochlear implant who then got another one.
The found that the youngsters improved after one year with the new implant and even more after the second year.
Perhaps the biggest help, there were better able to hear speech in a crowded area like a classroom.
The implants do require surgery, which can cost more than $50,000 with follow-up care.
