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Date:         Fri, 20 Nov 1992 19:58:38 -0500
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From:         "STEVEN T. HARDY--GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY" <12SHARDY@GALLUA.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: 600 minutes??????

Allison says:
>>I have a question for all of you out in Deaf-L...


***Only one, Allison??? (smile)


 How does everyone feel about implanting a three year old or four year old child
    whose
>brain and ears are still growing? I wonder what the long term, effects
>on the brain, cochlea etc. are??

Well I am not as concerned with a three or four year old about their ears with
a CI for the CI goes through the skull not the ears but what concerns me the mo
st are the unknown neurological effects.  The human brain is only apx 90% d
eveloped at the age of six years so a CI prior to that has to be flexible enoug
h to alter as the brain develops.  I don't know enough about CI attachment to
really say more about this except that it is a concern on mine.  Also since the
brain develops the ability to "hear" different freqs at different times-does
the age on CI implantation decide which freqs a child could "hear"?

>The other thing that concerns me is this implant looks like the old
>hearing aids I wore when I was very young. The box on my tummy that was
>forever in my way. I wonder how the children of the implants run
>around playing sports without something pelting at their tummies?


***I guess the same way that you delt with it....


 Will
>another kid pull that wire out of the implanted child resulting in the kid
>going in for major surgery again?

****No wires would be pulled out just the magnetic would come off the kids head
---I am sure that will give any kid hours of fun things to do...(smirk)

 Suppose this child grows up and
>wants to make love with someone, will this box forever be in his or
>her way?

***I am sure that the child will grow (most do)...as for making love...well tak
e it off as well--most everything else (clothing etc) is removed why not the
CI?


>                         Allison from Gallaudet
>                     (I won't use our little joke about Gally since I've
>                         offended some people on the list)

****Wow Allison (aka Sharon that is so sweet of you not to cause another 30
emails about a nickname)!

I am also slow to support CIs for I am not sure about the longterm effects of
having something elctromagnetic so close/on the brain.  Is that healthy?  The
body tends to internally reject anything manmade--would such a thing happen in
the brain?  possible infections? insults caused by swelling etc....eeeekkkkk

Please if there is anyone out there that could send me some of the more
techincal information/answer my concerns please do so.....

Till then  Peace!

Steve

*******************************************************************************
Steven Thomas Hardy                     Was mich nicht umbringt,
12SHARDY@GALLUA.BITNET                     macht mich starker
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Ave, NE Box 2635            202/651-5540 v/t
Washington DC 20002                     202/651-5747 fax
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