Are click-evoked BAEPs useful in case of neonate hyperbilirubinemia?

There is still controversy about the usefulness of click-evoked brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) for the investigation of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. The present work concerns the study of click-evoked BAEP responses in a population of 72 hyperbilirubinemic children (conceptional age between 33 and 42 weeks). Their bilirubinemia rates were between 219 and 600 mumol/l. The waves I, III and V were always present, and click BAEP thresholds were normal in all subjects. Latency anomalies were found only for 8 of the 72 subjects. The comparison of subjects having the higher (greater than 307 mumol/l) bilirubin levels with the group having the lower ones failed to show any significant differences for the I-III and I-V intervals. The influence of prematurity in BAEP alteration has not been demonstrated in this study. These data show, on the one hand, normal click-BAEP thresholds but, on the other hand, alterations of central conduction time in some hyperbilirubinemic newborns. It seems that other factors than hyperbilirubinemia might be operating.