Health Library

Bone Conduction Devices

Bone conduction devices are a type of hearing device that gives an option for children who cannot wear regular hearing aids. Your child may benefit from this type of device if they have:

• Conductive or mixed hearing loss caused by congenital ear abnormalities (aural atresia and microtia) or craniofacial anomalies and associated syndromes
• Chronic ear infections or drainage from the ear
• Single-sided deafness (a condition where a person has typical hearing in one ear and limited useable hearing in the other ear)

A regular hearing aid  transmits sound through the ear canal. A bone conduction device gently vibrates on the bone behind the ear to send sound directly to the inner ear (called the cochlea). Bone conduction devices are different than a cochlear implant. This is because the inner ear moves the bone conduction vibrations the same way a healthy ear moves sound waves. For patients with single-sided deafness, the bone conduction device is positioned near the ear with hearing loss. The vibrations are picked up by the inner ear on the opposite side of the head. These devices are also known as bone anchored hearing aids (BAHA), bone anchored implants, or bone conduction hearing devices.

There are many different types of bone conduction devices and wearing options available for kids. These devices can be worn on a post (called an abutment) or attached with a magnet. To wear the devices with a post or a magnet, the child would need surgery. The device can also be worn on a soft headband or with a sticker for younger children, or for those patients who cannot or choose not to have surgery. An audiologist will work closely with you to figure out which hearing device and wearing option is best for your child. You and the audiologist will also work closely with your child’s otolaryngologist (ENT) to see if a surgically implanted device is a good option.

If our team and your family decide that a bone conduction device will help your child, we will guide you through the evaluation and fitting process. Medical approval from a doctor is needed by state law before getting and using any hearing device.