Background: cochlear implants (CIs) help children with congenital profound sensorineural hearing loss gain auditory access and begin language acquisition, with early implantation being particularly beneficial. However, many children experience delayed language development, and their parents often face higher levels of stress than parents of children with normal hearing. Factors like parental input and a suitable acoustic environment may influence these outcomes. Additionally, research suggests that music can be a motivating tool for both children with CIs, aiding in speech perception and production, and their families, enhancing overall well-being. Objective: This study 1) examines the effects of an online music program on the expressive vocabulary of children with (CIs) and their mothers’ stress levels, comparing children and mothers who participated in the program (CI-T group) with those who did not (CI-C group); 2) explores the relationships between children’s expressive vocabulary, maternal stress, and the quality of the children’s acoustic environment in both groups. Method: the CI-T group comprised 14 children with CIs (M = 16.4 months, SD = 2.9) and their mothers. The CI-C group comprised 14 children with CIs (M = 18.0 months, SD = 4.0) and their mothers. The CI-T group participated in a 12-week online music program providing musical stimuli (rhythms, notes, songs) in three modules, with four activities: listening, movement, musical instrument playing, and turn-taking. The program starts three months after CI activation. The children’s vocabulary and maternal stress were assessed through standardized questionnaires before the online music program (T1), after the program (T2) and six months after the end of the program (T3). Children’s mean daily exposure to speech in quiet was extracted at T2 and T3 from the datalogging of the children’s devices. Results: A series of Friedman tests show significant increases in the children’s expressive vocabulary scores between T1 and T2, and between T2 and T3 for the CI-T group. For the CI-C group, significant increases were found only between T2 and T3. For maternal stress, significant decreases in mothers’ perception of a child as difficult were found for the CI-T between T1 and T2. No significant decreases in maternal stress were found for the CI-C group. Spearman’s correlations show significant negative associations in both groups between increases in children’s expressive vocabulary and maternal stress, and significant negative associations between maternal stress and mean daily exposure to Speech in Quiet. Conclusions: the study suggests that the online music program had a positive effect on both the children’s vocabulary development and the reduction of maternal stress for the group who participated in the program, highlighting the potential benefits of integrating music-based interventions to support children with cochlear implants and their families in the first months after CIs’ activation. A larger sample size could clarify the effects of an online music program over and above those of device activation and the potential combined maintenance effects. Optimal acoustic conditions in the home environment seem to be necessary to promote mutual influences between improvements in children’s vocabulary development and reductions in mothers’ stress in fulfilling their parental role.
The effect of an online music program on the vocabulary of children with cochlear implants and maternal stress, and the role of the acoustic environment
Michela Santangelo;Chiara Barachetti;Marinella Majorano
2025-01-01
Abstract
Background: cochlear implants (CIs) help children with congenital profound sensorineural hearing loss gain auditory access and begin language acquisition, with early implantation being particularly beneficial. However, many children experience delayed language development, and their parents often face higher levels of stress than parents of children with normal hearing. Factors like parental input and a suitable acoustic environment may influence these outcomes. Additionally, research suggests that music can be a motivating tool for both children with CIs, aiding in speech perception and production, and their families, enhancing overall well-being. Objective: This study 1) examines the effects of an online music program on the expressive vocabulary of children with (CIs) and their mothers’ stress levels, comparing children and mothers who participated in the program (CI-T group) with those who did not (CI-C group); 2) explores the relationships between children’s expressive vocabulary, maternal stress, and the quality of the children’s acoustic environment in both groups. Method: the CI-T group comprised 14 children with CIs (M = 16.4 months, SD = 2.9) and their mothers. The CI-C group comprised 14 children with CIs (M = 18.0 months, SD = 4.0) and their mothers. The CI-T group participated in a 12-week online music program providing musical stimuli (rhythms, notes, songs) in three modules, with four activities: listening, movement, musical instrument playing, and turn-taking. The program starts three months after CI activation. The children’s vocabulary and maternal stress were assessed through standardized questionnaires before the online music program (T1), after the program (T2) and six months after the end of the program (T3). Children’s mean daily exposure to speech in quiet was extracted at T2 and T3 from the datalogging of the children’s devices. Results: A series of Friedman tests show significant increases in the children’s expressive vocabulary scores between T1 and T2, and between T2 and T3 for the CI-T group. For the CI-C group, significant increases were found only between T2 and T3. For maternal stress, significant decreases in mothers’ perception of a child as difficult were found for the CI-T between T1 and T2. No significant decreases in maternal stress were found for the CI-C group. Spearman’s correlations show significant negative associations in both groups between increases in children’s expressive vocabulary and maternal stress, and significant negative associations between maternal stress and mean daily exposure to Speech in Quiet. Conclusions: the study suggests that the online music program had a positive effect on both the children’s vocabulary development and the reduction of maternal stress for the group who participated in the program, highlighting the potential benefits of integrating music-based interventions to support children with cochlear implants and their families in the first months after CIs’ activation. A larger sample size could clarify the effects of an online music program over and above those of device activation and the potential combined maintenance effects. Optimal acoustic conditions in the home environment seem to be necessary to promote mutual influences between improvements in children’s vocabulary development and reductions in mothers’ stress in fulfilling their parental role.
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