What are the limitations and risks?

MRI - unless the person has a removable magnet, MRI cannot be performed.

Then it says Can’t have Electrosurgery or diathermy in the area of implanted portion of CI, Electroconvulsive therapy (they still do that??)  and lonizing radiation therapy (Didn’t bother to look that up).

Static electricity can potentially damage the electrical components of the implant system or erase programs that are saved to the speech processor(SP).  So, parents should remove the SP when a child is playing on the slides or in plastic ball pits (like McDonalds play land).  They have to avoid contact with the speech processor until they have touched the child. 

Surgical risks include slight chance of damage to the facial nerve or the two nerves that pass through the middle ear space.

Risk of anesthesia is slightly higher in infants and young children as compared to adults.

Some children experienced balance function for a short period after surgery

And some have reported an increase of tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

The CI is unaffected by running, swimming, or any normal activity.  However, one should wear a helmet if bicycling, skateboarding or roller skating to help prevent damage to the device in the event the child falls.

The processor must be removed when swimming or engaging in other activities where the external parts could get wet.

I’m just thinking to myself - wow wow! it’s so much like me wearing a hearing aid in some respects.  I have to take it off when I swim and I become more deafer!  Then, when I do other activities, I take the risk If I fall, I will damage my hearing aid and possibly hurt my ears.

I just cannot believe that they are encouraging a child with 70 db loss to get a CI!  this is just crazy!  although I had 55 db in one ear and 65 db in another, my db in both ears have gone down to 65/75.  I can use the phone with just about anybody except there are difficulties when speaking to people with certain accent and certain low low bass type of voice.  This is just mind blowing that they would do that and take away good residual hearing.  Most hearing aids will bring it up to 30 to 50 db, if not higher.  I know with speech and ASL training, any child with that much hearing will be able to function in the hearing world just fine.

I’m thinking…no way a child lives his/her life just like a hearing person!  Still deaf!   When that child grows up, their peers will react differently and they will know they are different because they have to do things differently.  Imagine a child goes to a water park with his friends.  He has to take the external device off.  Now he is deaf.  Will he be on an equal footing with his friends?  will he be able to participate as a hearing person?  no!

Imagine a child goes roller skating with his peers and they all are skating around the rink without their helmet and this CI child is wearing a helmet, obviously different from his peers. 

The site does encourage an environment where auditory skills are “EMPHASIZED”.  No where does it say “exclusively”.  Makes sense, if you wish your child to have speech with CI, then that is what should be done.  Nothing wrong with adding ASL to the mix.

Decisions of some parents to have their child implanted is theirs and theirs alone.  However, parents should introduce ASL to their child.  

It’s no wonder many CI implantees eventually found their rightful place with the deaf as they get older. 

The source:
http://www.babyhearing.org/HearingAmplification/Cochlear/index.asp