General precautions and warnings
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Sports and play
It is important to protect the implant from sources of direct impact. Accidents like falling out
of a chair or bumping into furniture with your head could damage the implant. As with any
child, parents should take measures to prevent these accidents by using child seats and child
locks where appropriate and by supervising outside play.
Avoid contact sports that might result in severe blows to the head or continuous pressure on
the implant, since this could damage the implant. Other physical activity is generally allowed.
Make sure that you wear the audio processor securely to protect it from physical damage.
Sports that require a helmet are okay as long as they do not exceed the given capabilities
of the user. Use a helmet whenever necessary to protect the implant site from any blows.
Your/your child’s helmet should be of high quality. It may need to be modified to meet your
individual needs. For specific questions about contact sports, contact your CI centre.
Most water sports should not cause any problem as long as the external parts of the implant
system are removed. If headgear or face masks are worn, care must be taken to ensure
that the strap is not too tight over the site of the implant. In any case you should consult
an experienced physician about the possibilities and personal restrictions when performing
water sports, especially in the case of SCUBA diving. The implant is robust against pressure
changes which occur during SCUBA diving to depths up to 50 m (165ft).
If you have any concerns or questions, ask your physician for advice about participating in
sports and any limitations of your/your child’s health status.
