Risk Factors for Severe and Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss and Auditory Performance in Children After Cochlear Implant Surgery at Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño, San Borja, Lima, 2021–2024

<ns3:p>Background Sensorineural hearing loss in children, when associated with specific risk factors, can negatively affect language development, which in turn impacts their quality of life as well as their family and social environment. Objective To determine the association between risk factors for severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss and auditory performance in post–cochlear implant patients at Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño, San Borja, during the period from 2021 to 2024. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted. Data collection was performed through a review of medical records; information was obtained from children treated between 2021 and 2024, including sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of post–cochlear implant patients. Auditory performance was assessed using the PEACH test. Results Medical records from 100 children who underwent cochlear implant surgery were reviewed. Preterm children showed poorer auditory performance (52.8%) compared with those born at term (70.5%). Children with low birth weight recorded a PEACH score of 51.4%, whereas those with normal birth weight reached higher values (71.8%). Additionally, children implanted before their first year of life presented a lower rate of suboptimal performance (40%), while those implanted after the age of three reached 56.5% performance. Analysis of risk factors associated with auditory outcomes revealed that prematurity, low birth weight, severe asphyxia, and hydrocephalus were significantly associated with poorer auditory performance. Conclusions There is a significant association between risk factors and reduced auditory performance in children with sensorineural hearing loss who underwent cochlear implant surgery, particularly among those born prematurely, with low birth weight, severe asphyxia, or hydrocephalus.</ns3:p>