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Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Relation between predischarge auditory brainstem responses and clinical factors in high-risk infants
Naomitsu Suzuki1, Hiroshi Suzumura
1Department of Pediatrics, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, Japan. suzuki-n@dokkyomed.ac.jp
Insights
Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing is crucial for high-risk infants before NICU discharge. Mechanical ventilation and multiple antibiotics are key risk factors for hearing impairment, especially in extremely low-birthweight infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) survival rates have improved.
- Some NICU graduates face hearing disorders, brainstem dysfunction, and developmental challenges.
- Early detection of these issues is vital for timely intervention and care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if predischarge auditory brainstem response (ABR) data can detect hearing disorders and brainstem dysfunction in high-risk infants.
- To investigate the relationship between ABR results and six clinical factors in neonates.
Main Methods:
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing was performed on 56 high-risk infants and 30 controls prior to NICU discharge.
- Mean auditory thresholds and I-V interpeak latencies were measured.
- Retrospective analysis correlated ABR data with clinical factors.
Main Results:
- Mechanical ventilation (even <1 day) and ≥5 antibiotics were significant risk factors for hearing impairment, particularly in extremely low-birthweight (ELBW) infants.
- High-risk, mature infants showed a significant risk factor for brainstem dysfunction.
- ABR data proved useful in identifying infants with potential auditory and neurological deficits.
Conclusions:
- Pre-discharge ABR screening is essential for high-risk infants leaving the NICU.
- ABR testing is particularly recommended for ELBW infants or mature infants exposed to mechanical ventilation or multiple antibiotics.
- Early ABR assessment aids in managing potential long-term neurodevelopmental and communication issues.
Background:
Advances in perinatal medicine have increased the survival rate of infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Some of the infants will have health problems including hearing disorder and/or brainstem dysfunction, and may have associated communicative and cognitive difficulties and/or repeated apnea attacks that require therapy or care.
Methods:
In this study, the authors measured mean thresholds and mean I-V interpeak latencies in 56 high-risk infants and 30 controls who were about to be discharged from NICU. The authors retrospectively investigated whether predischarge auditory brainstem response (ABR) data, which seem to be related to a number of clinical factors affecting neonates, are useful for detecting hearing disorder and/or brainstem dysfunction, and we investigated six clinical factors.
Results:
The results showed that the positive risk factors for hearing impairment in infants who are about to be discharged from the NICU are: receiving mechanical ventilation (including for a period of <1 day) and the administration of five or more different antibiotics, especially in extremely low-birthweight (ELBW) infants. Another result showed that the high-risk mature infants had a significant high risk factor for brainstem dysfunction.
Conclusions:
The findings of the study emphasize the importance of performing ABR examinations in high-risk infants, even in infants who are about to be discharged from an NICU. ABR examinations are especially important in ELBW infants or mature infants who have received mechanical ventilation or who have received five or more different antibiotics.
