The utility of the auditory brainstem response as a screening procedure

A population of very low birthweight infants consisting of 41 infants (24 female) less than 1000 g birthweight and 108 infants (63 female) 1000-1499 g birthweight received auditory brainstem response audiometry (ABR) before initial discharge from hospital and were subsequently monitored via behavioural audiometry and tympanometry as part of their pediatric medical team follow-up assessment at age 7 months. Results support the use of ABR but indicate that its diagnostic yield was enhanced by the use of multiple ABR parameters in combination with basic audiological techniques. The commonly used single-value ABR pass/fail criterion was not found to be clinically practical.