27th September 2019
Children requiring cochlear implants to treat hearing loss after meningitis on the rise
The number of children requiring cochlear implants to treat severe-profound hearing loss as a result of meningitis has
risen dramatically over the past five years.
ENT surgeon and chairperson of the Northern Cochlear Implant Programme Advisory Group, Michel Neeff says, “We noted a
dramatic spike in referrals for children who had become deaf as a result of meningitis since 2015, so the Northern
Cochlear Implant Programme undertook a review and what we found was deeply concerning.
"Between 1999-2009, 15 children needed cochlear implants as a result of deafness caused by meningitis. But since 2015
referrals have risen dramatically with 14 children requiring cochlear implants, and 10 of these children lost their
hearing since mid-2018."
Permanent hearing loss is a known complication of meningitis. Hearing loss as a result of meningitis occurs when
bacteria or the chemicals our bodies produce to fight infection get into the inner ear, where they can cause damage to
the hair cells of the cochlea. If a child suffers hearing loss as a result meningitis there is also a risk of excess
bone growth (ossification) in their cochlea, which can make the hearing loss worse and time critical from a treatment
perspective.
A cochlear implant is needed to treat severe-profound hearing loss, which is a surgically implanted electronic device
that bypasses the damaged hair cells and nerve fibres to restore hearing. Ossification of the cochlea can make it more
difficult or even impossible to surgically insert the electrodes of a cochlear implant into the cochlea to treat the
hearing loss. Hence it is urgent that these children get treated quickly.
The review conducted by the Northern Cochlear Implant Programme (NCIP) found that of the 14 children who presented with
severe-profound hearing loss as a result of meningitis, 7 had meningococcal meningitis, a preventable disease through
vaccination.
“We are concerned about these recent developments. Apart from the risk of neurological complications and death from
meningitis, the impact of the significant hearing loss on these children and their families is huge. Families need to
devote years of time and energy to get their children hearing with cochlear implants. Some of these children will
continue to struggle with communication even after intensive rehabilitation. For the health system this means a life
long cost due to this permanent disability,” says Michel Neeff.
Dr. Emma Best, Infectious Diseases Paediatrician says, ‘Reviewing the NZ immunisation schedule, the meningococcal
vaccine is not funded for young children, yet vaccines are available, though only to those who can pay for it, leaving
most vulnerable patients unprotected. Half of these recent cochlear implants were required due to serious consequences
of meningococcal disease in young children, a vaccine preventable disease.”
The Northern Cochlear Implant Programme strongly supports the addition of the meningococcal vaccine to the vaccination
schedule for under 5-year old children given the burden of severe outcomes including hearing loss requiring cochlear
implants.
-ENDS-