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Updated: May 20, 2026
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Sex and gestational age effects on auditory brainstem responses in preterm and term infants
Mingyan Li1, Li Zhu, Xiaoqin Mai
1Children's Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China.
Insights
Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were similar in preterm and term infants at 6 weeks corrected age. However, males exhibited less mature ABRs than females, with growth velocity influencing preterm infant ABR development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Conflicting findings exist regarding auditory brainstem development delays in preterm infants.
- Understanding auditory development in early infancy is crucial for identifying potential neurological differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) between healthy preterm and term infants.
- To investigate the influence of sex and gestational age (GA) on ABRs in these groups.
Main Methods:
- 111 preterm (27-36 weeks GA) and 92 term (37-41 weeks GA) infants participated.
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests were administered at 6 weeks corrected age for preterm infants.
Main Results:
- No significant overall differences in ABRs were observed between preterm and term infants.
- Males consistently demonstrated longer latencies and smaller amplitudes in specific ABR waves compared to females.
- A significant interaction revealed that later GA in preterm males correlated with longer ABR intervals, while later GA in term females showed shorter intervals.
Conclusions:
- At 6 weeks corrected age, ABRs are comparable between preterm and term infants, but sex-based differences in maturation are evident.
- In preterm infants, rapid growth velocity may predict less mature ABRs, particularly in those born at later gestational ages.
- Further research is needed to explore the interplay of gestational age, growth, and iron status in auditory brainstem development.
Background:
Some studies find delayed development of the auditory brainstem in preterm infants, but others do not.
Aim:
To compare auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in healthy preterm and term infants depending on sex and gestational age (GA).
Methods:
Participants were 111 preterm (27-36weeks GA) and 92 term (37-41weeks GA) infants. ABR tests were conducted at 6weeks (corrected age if preterm).
Results:
There were no overall differences between term and preterm groups in ABRs. However, males showed longer latencies for waves III, V, and I-III, III-V, and I-V intervals and smaller amplitudes for wave III and V than females in both preterm and term groups (all p values≤.01). A 3-way interaction between group, sex, and GA (p<.05) showed that preterm males with later GA had longer wave I-V interval, whereas term females with later GA showed shorter wave I-V interval. Growth velocity predicted wave I-V interval in preterm infants, controlling for other factors (male: p=.07, female: p<.05).
Conclusion:
ABRs in preterm and term infants were similar at 6weeks (corrected age if preterm), but males had less advanced ABRs than females. More rapid growth predicted less mature ABR in later GA preterm infants in this setting where they were unlikely to receive extra iron. The roles of GA, growth, and iron balance in ABR development warrant further study.
