Inclusive Soundscapes: How Race, Socioeconomic Status and Maternal Age Influence the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Journey

This study aimed to assess how race, social vulnerability, and maternal age influence pediatric cochlear implant access and usage. Retrospective cohort. Tertiary Pediatric University Hospital. This study included individuals aged 0 to 18 who received a cochlear implant at our center between the years 2000 and 2022. Social vulnerability data from 2020 was obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 302 patients included in our study, 43% were black and 50% were white. Patients from the highest to lowest social vulnerability quintiles comprised 31%, 25%, 18%, 10%, and 14% of our sample, respectively. Race was associated with social vulnerability index (SVI) (P