ABSTRACT Purpose To analyze the impact of the diagnosis of hearing loss on the family relationships of schoolchildren who use hearing aids. Methods The sample consisted of 26 parents from schools with hearing aid hearing aid users aged between 4 and 14 years, assisted in a public Hearing Health Program. Parents responded to an objective, prepared by the authors without prior validation, with seven questions on the subject. Inferential statistical analysis was performed whenever possible. Results Most parents do not report having had personal difficulties and/or strain in family relationships with their hearing-impaired child. No association was found between the degree of hearing loss and the communication difficulties between both family groups. There was also no association between language modality and communication difficulty between the two groups, although in the broader family group the responses were not as unanimous as in the main family group. Conclusion Parents did not report a significant impact on family relationships and communication with their children with hearing loss who use hearing aids, regardless of the degree of hearing impairment and language modality. Among the broader family group, there was also no significant association between the degree of hearing impairment or the language modality used and communication difficulties between the child and the family, even with more heterogeneous responses than in the main family group.

RESUMO Objetivo Analisar o impacto do diagnóstico da deficiência auditiva nas relações familiares de escolares usuários de dispositivos eletrônicos de amplificação sonora. Métodos A amostra foi composta por 26 pais de escolares com deficiência auditiva, usuários de dispositivos eletrônicos de amplificação sonora, com idades entre 4 e 14 anos, atendidos em um Programa de Saúde Auditiva público. Os pais responderam a um questionário objetivo, elaborado pelas autoras, sem validação prévia, com sete perguntas sobre a temática. Realizou-se análise estatística inferencial sempre que possível. Resultados A maioria dos pais não relatou ter apresentado dificuldades pessoais e/ou desgaste nas relações familiares com seus filhos deficientes auditivos. Não foi encontrada associação entre grau da deficiência auditiva e dificuldade de comunicação em ambos os grupos familiares. Também não se observou associação entre modalidade linguística e dificuldade de comunicação nos dois grupos, apesar de as respostas do grupo familiar mais amplo não terem sido tão unânimes como as do grupo familiar principal. Conclusão Os pais não relataram impacto significativo entre as relações familiares e a comunicação com seus filhos com deficiência auditiva, usuários de dispositivos eletrônicos de amplificação sonora, independentemente do grau da deficiência auditiva e da modalidade linguística. No grupo familiar mais amplo, também não houve associação importante entre grau da deficiência auditiva ou a modalidade linguística utilizada e dificuldade de comunicação entre a criança e a família, mesmo com respostas mais heterogêneas do que no grupo familiar principal.

Abstract Objective: To present scientific evidence, based on a systematic review of the literature, on the benefit of brainstem implants in auditory rehabilitation and language development in children. Methods: A systematic search was used to identify studies that contain information about the benefit of brainstem implants in the auditory rehabilitation and language development of children. The review was conducted based on a structured literature search, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) checklist. The search was carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases, using the combination “Auditory brainstem implants” AND “Pediatric”, without restriction of language, period, and location. The quality assessment of the articles was performed using the Study Quality Assessment Tools. Results: Regarding hearing, children with brainstem implants showed sound detection, access to most speech sounds, basic auditory perception skills, recognition of ambient sounds, recognition of some frequently used words and phrases, in addition to some closed-set word discrimination capability. Expressive and comprehensive language were identified in children using auditory brainstem implants, increasing significantly in the short and long terms in most cases; however, in some of the children, such skills remained stable. Conclusion: The auditory brainstem implant can be considered an effective alternative for children with cochlear malformation and/or auditory nerve deficiency and for those who cannot benefit from cochlear implant surgery.