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Auditory pathway maturational study in small for gestational age preterm infants
Rosanna Giaffredo Angrisani1, Edna Maria Albuquerque Diniz2, Ruth Guinsburg3
1School of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Codas
|September 12, 2014
Summary
Auditory brainstem response (ABR) maturation in preterm infants shows similar rates for small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants. Prematurity, not birth weight, is the key factor influencing auditory pathway development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
Background:
- Premature infants, particularly those small for gestational age (SGA), may experience developmental differences.
- The auditory pathway's maturation is crucial for infant development and requires careful monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the maturation of the auditory pathway in preterm infants.
- To compare auditory brainstem response (ABR) latencies in small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants during the first six months of life.
Main Methods:
- A multicentric prospective study involving 76 preterm infants (35 SGA, 41 AGA) born between 33-36 weeks gestation.
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) assessments were conducted at birth, 3 months, and 6 months corrected age.
- Inclusion criteria included bilateral transient evoked otoacoustic emissions and normal tympanometry.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in ABR parameters were observed between SGA and AGA groups, except for wave III latencies between 3 and 6 months.
- Maturation of auditory pathway using tone burst stimuli (0.5 and 1 kHz) showed no group differences.
- Interaural symmetry in ABR findings was consistent across both groups.
Conclusions:
- The auditory pathway matures at a similar rate in preterm SGA and AGA infants.
- Prematurity is a more significant factor than birth weight in the maturation of the auditory pathway.
- These findings support the importance of monitoring auditory development in all preterm infants.
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