What are the cons of a cochlear implant?

Cochlear Implant? Good or Bad?

• I am 17 in ASL class. My boyfriend comes with a deaf family but i could not get their opinion on the situation. I am writing an essay on whether or not i would give my child a cochlear implant. I am thinking of saying 'no' at the moment but i would love some of your opinions. Especially from someone who is deaf or has a cochlear implant. But anyone's opinion would be appreciated. Also, a list of pros and cons would be great. Thank you!

• Answer:

  I have no direct experience with CI, but have watched a few documentaries and heard of a few people who have had them implanted. There are those who say that for adults it's harder if they've been deaf all their lives; the sounds and noises of the world are just too much for them. But for adults who once were able to hear and then became deaf, the implants are most welcome after a [sometimes] hard adjustment period. As for children born deaf, the jury is still out on that one. As they say, you can't miss what you've never known, so a child born deaf will never know what he/she is missing. But again, the adjustment to a CI can be frustrating and sometimes even maddening, so any parent would do well to think twice about having it done to their child. As for me personally, if I had a deaf child who qualified for a CI, I think I would want for that child to be blessed with the ability to hear his own voice, laughter, music, birds singing, cats meowing, puppies barking, water running, waves crashing, wind howling, thunder rumbling, etc. What an experience it might be for someone who has always been deaf, to be able to hear what a heartbeat sounds like. Here are some links that may help you: http://katelocke.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/1-week-late/ http://cochlearimplantonline.com/site/?p=53 http://hearingmojo.com/products/cochlear-implants-2