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Published on: January 23, 2017
A long-term study of hearing in children following neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
Insights
Transient neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, a common condition, was studied in 85 infants. Prompt treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia showed no significant impact on infant hearing development.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric audiology
- Neurodevelopmental pediatrics
Background:
- Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a common condition in newborns.
- Severe cases can lead to kernicterus, a form of brain damage.
- The impact of transient, treated hyperbilirubinemia on hearing requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term effects of transient neonatal hyperbilirubinemia on hearing.
- To determine if bilirubin levels correlate with auditory function in infants.
- To evaluate hearing using brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA).
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 85 children with transient neonatal hyperbilirubinemia was studied.
- Children ranged from birth to 9 months at initial assessment.
- Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) was used to evaluate hearing; 34 children had follow-up assessments.
Main Results:
- No significant correlation was found between serum bilirubin levels and BERA thresholds.
- No significant correlation was observed between bilirubin concentrations and BERA latencies.
- Hearing assessments showed no adverse effects related to neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
Conclusions:
- Promptly treated transient neonatal hyperbilirubinemia does not appear to affect neonatal hearing.
- Unlike manifest kernicterus, mild hyperbilirubinemia does not cause hearing impairment.
- Neonatal hearing is preserved when hyperbilirubinemia is managed effectively.
Abstract:
We conducted a long-term study of 85 children with known transient neonatal hyperbilirubinemia to determine if their hearing had been affected. None of the children had neural symptoms such as kernicterus. The children ranged in age from birth to 9 months and were studied by means of brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA). Thirty-four of the children were studied sequentially between 15 and 80 months after the initial examination. Our results showed that there was no significant correlation between serum bilirubin concentrations and BERA thresholds or latencies. These findings indicate that, unlike manifest cases of kernicterus, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia does not affect neonatal hearing when treated promptly.
