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Updated: Oct 9, 2026
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Effect of vibration on auditory organ systems in low-birth weight infants treated with high-frequency oscillatory
1Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Metropolitan Ohtsuka Hospital, Japan. hosonos@rb3.so-net.ne.jp
Insights
High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) vibration exposure did not significantly impact auditory system development in low-birth weight (LBW) infants. Long-term follow-up showed no increased risk of hearing loss compared to conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV).
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Auditory neurophysiology
- Pediatric audiology
Background:
- Low-birth weight (LBW) infants are vulnerable to auditory system damage.
- High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) involves significant vibration exposure.
- The impact of HFOV-induced vibrations on infant hearing requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effects of HFOV vibration on the auditory system in LBW infants.
- To compare auditory outcomes between HFOV and conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV).
Main Methods:
- 30 LBW infants received either HFOV (n=14) or CMV (n=16).
- Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were measured serially from postconceptional age to 5 years.
- Follow-up auditory assessments were conducted until 5 years of age.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in initial ABR test failures between HFOV and CMV groups.
- One HFOV infant had ABR abnormalities, but died from meningitis.
- One CMV infant showed persistent ABR abnormalities at 5 years; no hearing loss detected in either group at 5 years.
Conclusions:
- HFOV vibration exposure does not appear to adversely affect the auditory system in LBW infants.
- Serial ABR and 5-year follow-up suggest comparable auditory outcomes between HFOV and CMV.
- Further research may explore long-term auditory impacts in this population.
Background:
To determine the effects of vibration exposure caused by high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) on the auditory organ systems in low-birth weight (LBW) infants.
Methods:
Between 1989 and 1990, 30 LBW infants who received assisted ventilation with HFOV (n = 14) or conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV; n = 16) in the level III neonatal intensive care unit at Tokyo Metropolitan Ohtsuka Hospital were enrolled in this study. The effects of vibration exposure on the auditory system structures were investigated with auditory brainstem responses (ABR) at 37-41 weeks of postconceptional age and at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age until they passed and follow-up studies were performed at least until 5 years of age.
Results:
All infants enrolled in the study survived at discharge and one (7.1%) infant in the HFOV group and two (12.5%) in the CMV group failed the initial ABR test, but there were no significant differences between the two groups. Auditory brainstem response abnormalities were still observed in one infant in the HFOV group at 6 months of age, but this child died at 9 months of age because of meningitis. In contrast, in the CMV group, one patient passed the ABR test at 6 months of age, but another remained abnormal at 5 years of age. One of three infants with ABR abnormalities at 6 months of age had neurologic sequelae at 5 years of age and one of 28 infants who passed the initial ABR test was detected with cerebral palsy. No patients with hearing loss were clinically detected at 5 years of age.
Conclusions:
The results of the serial ABR examinations and the 5 year follow-up studies suggest that vibration exposure caused by HFOV may not increase the adverse effects on the auditory system in LBW infants.
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