Questions & Answers: Choosing not to implant my child with a cochlear implant?
Question by =]: Choosing not to implant my child with a cochlear implant?
If we were to have a Deaf child, we have decided not to implant. We know this is a controversial decision, but we are active in the Deaf community and I really see no need for it. Children with cochlear implants don’t even hear the same way normal “hearing” people do. Any surgery has risks and although cochlear implants do have benefits, we really just don’t think it’s worth it. Better technology could come out in the future and as long as the auditory nerve is stimulated in some way, it will not atrophy.
Just wanted general opinions on the matter.
Best answer:
Answer by Teddy & Chiliswoman
I agree with you 100%. People who hear well are most likely never going to agree with you because to not be able to hear is unimaginable. And it is unimaginable to most of them that you would not take every chance possible to have your child be able to hear. You can raise a happy, healthy deaf child.
To the people who condemn his parent: Implanting cochlear implants are not without risk. To implant a fake cochlear the cochlear must be removed, thus removing all hearing. A person could have enough residual hearing to be enough help to them even though they are deaf, but it would be gone. The part of the implant outside the head must be removed during contact sports, bathing, swimming, and ordinarily when sleeping – so this person cannot hear ANYTHING during these activities – not even a rifle shot next to their ear. Not everyone who gets an implant is able to make sense of the new sounds they hear from an implant – some have no success with it at all. There are people who have had their implants removed because they were so unhappy with them.
A cochlear implant is not a panacea. There are no guarantees. Parents have the right and the responsibility to weigh the risks.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
by not helping the child live a normal life you are putting limits on the child as to what he or she might do with there life. think about it?
I agree with what what Chiliswoman said. But my opinion is the opposite, if that makes sense. Yes it’s possible to grow up happily without being able to hear. But at the same time. The child will an easier time communicating with “hearing” people if he/she could hear even slightly better.
Yes something better could come out 20 years down the road, but the cochlear implant is available now, and while it’s not perfect, it does work. But it’s your call.
You have to do what works best for your family and what you feel comfortable with. Also, it’s my understanding (and I apologize if I’m wrong) that not all deaf people are candidates for implants. As long as the child has a loving supportive home, that’s all that matters.
As long as you are willing to allow or accept it when the child is old enough to decide for herself that she wants it..
a big risk being that if there is any residual hearing, that will be destroyed to put in the implant…and there could be an issue with sports..
people who are deaf did fine without it for decades (since they were treated as people and not locked away uneducated)
And as long as you accept another parents decision to get an implant for their child.
IF & when you have a child…you will be able to make a decision based on the needs of the child & your own personal belief system. None of us knows if our children will be born with or without hearing. I hope you won’t be disappointed if your child is born without an impairment.
I see no problem with not giving the child the implant because the child can easily live a good life whilst also being deaf. However, I do feel that it would be important to ensure that the child was informed about the options, perhaps from when they are 7 years old. Any child should have the right to say whether or not they want the implant and, whilst the deaf community is important to you, it may not be something that your child wants to be part of.
One of my daughters uses a wheelchair, just as I do. However, I have never been diagnosed with any particular condition (I don’t feel the need to put myself through that many doctor’s appointments just to be told they don’t know what it is – that’s what happened to my sister). Therefore, my daughter does not have a name for her condition. However, she knows that if she wants to go to the doctor and try to get diagnosed, she can. It’s completely up to her.
Your child would have a much harder life being deaf than hearing. Most people want to give their children every possible advantage. Waiting to have the cochlear implant until s/he is old enough to decide on it would be much less successful than if it is done very early. To be most successful, it needs to be done as a baby, when the brain is developing language skills. I don’t understand intentionally limiting your child as a political statement.