My 13-year-old son has type 1 and is also deaf. He wears a cochlear implant. Does the signal for an insulin pump affect the cochlear implant processor or the processor affect the pump? We are considering the pump but not sure about this issue.

A quick search of the National Library of Medicine reveals no reports of interference between an insulin pump and a cochlear implant. I also asked the director of medical affairs for an insulin pump company and the response was that, while the pump (and all electrical devices) can generate EMI, keeping the pump a couple of feet from the cochlear implant should reduce the risk of any interference.

Given your son’s unique situation, I would suggest asking your son’s diabetes team to help you arrange a saline trial of one or more insulin pumps. This would give you an opportunity to see if the insulin pump causes any problems with the cochlear implant before you make the decision to purchase a pump. If you decide to do a saline trial, please get back to us and let us know about your experience so that we can share it with others.

JSH