Why children need even more SNR support

We sometimes hear concerns about using certain forms of noise reduction for children, but the developmental literature tells us something important: children consistently need better auditory signals to support listening, compared to adults. This might mean a better signal to noise ratio (SNR), a broader bandwidth, or a higher level of sound.

Across a wide range of studies, including loudness, speech intelligibility, psychoacoustic testing, and listening preference measures, children always show the same pattern. They need a better signal to achieve the same performance levels as adults. When hearing loss is added, that need becomes even greater.

If you imagine a simple two-by-two grid with children and adults on one axis and normal hearing and hearing loss on the other, the group that needs the best signal is children with hearing loss.

We already recognize this in classrooms. That is why we are comfortable using Roger™ systems in educational settings. But children also listen and learn in many other places such as at home, in daycare, during after-school activities, and in busy community environments. The same listening challenges exist there too.

So why not provide noise management support in those settings as well? Whether it comes from remote microphones or from signal processing within the hearing aid itself, the goal remains the same: to make listening easier for children wherever they are.

Evidence to guide practice

To support pediatric audiologists in addressing these challenges, the Phonak Pediatric Advisory Board recently published Pediatric Focus 4: Noise Reduction in Children’s Hearing Aids – Evidence-Based Solutions. This Focus builds on previous consensus in Pediatric Focus 1: Considering Directional Microphone Use in Pediatric Hearing Aid Fittings and the Pediatric Focus 3: The Basics of Preferred Practices.

Developed collaboratively by researchers, clinicians, and a parent representative, Phonak Focus 4 reviews all available evidence on how children experience noisy environments and how different forms of noise management can support them. The goal was to consolidate what we know, identify where more research is needed, and translate the findings into practical guidance for everyday clinical use.

By reviewing decades of studies, many focusing on technologies such as NoiseBlock and other signal processing features, we were able to reach consensus on new recommended default settings for pediatric fittings. These recommendations are grounded in research that specifically includes children, not only adults.

This is an important step for our field. It gives clinicians greater confidence that the default settings they use are supported by evidence drawn directly from pediatric data. It also ensures that hearing aids are configured to meet children’s real-world listening needs right from the start.

Making technology work for children

Sometimes there is hesitation to use certain features, such as noise filtering, with very young children in case they may become unaware of environmental sounds. That is a valid, child-specific concern.

But in general, our approach was this: let us find evidence-based moderate settings that meet children’s listening needs, with the goal of providing improved listening comfort and effort, and to align with the preferences of children.

Children deserve the same access to technology that makes listening in noise easier, perhaps even more so given their developmental needs and the environments where they grow, play, and learn.

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You can access the full publication and more pediatric-focused evidence in the Phonak Evidence Library.

Learn about the Roger™ solutions that support children in everyday listening environments at https://www.phonak.com/en-int/hearing-devices/microphones.

Find more insights from the Pediatric Advisory Board and its work in advancing evidence-based pediatric care here