Better pediatric hearing care starts with shared knowledge

Pediatric audiology continues to evolve as new evidence, technologies, and models of family-centered care shape clinical practice. In mid-April, Phonak hosted the 8th European Pediatric Conference, Current Developments and New Directions in Pediatric Audiology, in Munich, Germany.

The two-day educational event brought together pediatric clinicians, researchers, and experts from 32 countries. Almost 450 attendees joined on-site, with more than 200 participants taking part online. The conference offers a bilingual learning experience, with presentations in English and German and simultaneous translation available throughout.

Translating evidence into pediatric care

The conference was chaired by international pediatric experts, Andrea Bohnert and Thomas Wiesner, with invited speakers from across the globe.

Presentations provided valuable guidance and recommendations on various topics in pediatric audiology including Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD), Down Syndrome,  hearing technologies (hearing aids, cochlear implants and Roger™ technology) and Otoferlin gene therapy.

Speakers shared recent research findings and practical guidance for working with children and families. Across the program, a clear theme emerged: pediatric hearing care requires individualized decisions that consider the child, the family, and everyday listening environments.

A few highlights from the conference

• Heather Porter, AuD, PhD, Research Scientist and Clinical Audiologist at Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska, USA, presented on the management of children with Down Syndrome in the audiology clinic. She shared practical clinical guidance, including the value of using visual supports during appointments.
  
• Janet DesGeorges, Director of Hands & Voices, Boulder, Colorado, USA, a parent-driven organization, presented on partnering with families. She offered guidance on building trust and helping families leave the clinic with greater confidence. For example, how simply asking families what they are hoping for during the visit can help clinicians better understand their concerns and priorities.
  
• Dr. med. Anke Hirschfelder, Specialist in Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology in Berlin, Germany, shared insights into the new German national guideline on hearing loss in children.

Participant feedback reflects clinical relevance

As part of Phonak’s ongoing commitment to pediatric hearing care, feedback was collected following the event to better understand the value of the program for participants.

• 92% of participants rated the quality of the talks as high.
• 94% would recommend the conference to colleagues.
• 85% agreed they felt more empowered to support better outcomes for children with hearing loss.

And spontaneous comments from attendees reflected the strong reputation of the conference. Together, these results suggest the conference supported both professional learning and confidence in the solutions available to help children with hearing loss. Participants reported feeling better equipped to translate current evidence into everyday clinical care.

On-demand access remains available

To ensure more clinicians can benefit from the educational content, Phonak is pleased to provide on-demand access to the conference recordings. Registration remains open until mid-July, with access to recordings available until July 31, 2026. Link