Associations between Neonatal Auditory Brainstem Response and Long-Term Language Development in Preterm Children

This study aimed to examine whether neonatal auditory brainstem conduction, as indexed by the interpeak latency between waves I and V (I-V IPL) on the auditory brainstem response (ABR), is associated with long-term language outcomes in preterm children.

This retrospective cohort study included 45 preterm infants born at ≤33 weeks of gestation without hearing loss who underwent ABR testing at term-equivalent age. Demographic and clinical variables, ABR wave latencies and interpeak latencies, and language-social (L-: S) developmental quotients (DQs) at 3 and 5-6 years of age were collected. L-S DQs were assessed using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001.

Spearman's correlation analysis showed that longer I-V IPL at term-equivalent age was significantly correlated with lower L-S DQ scores at both 3 years of age (rs  = - 0.32, p = 0.03) and 5-6 years of age (rs  = - 0.39, p = 0.04). After adjustment for sex and age, a linear mixed-effects model showed that longer I-V IPL remained significantly associated with lower L-S DQ scores at 5-6 years (β = - 21.00, 95% CI: -40.6 to -1.40).

The findings suggest that longer neonatal I-V IPL at term-equivalent age may be associated with poorer long-term language outcomes in preterm children. Neonatal measurement of I-V IPL may provide additional information for clinicians assessing the need for long-term follow-up of language development.

· Neonatal ABR and later language were examined.. · Longer I-V IPL was linked to poorer language scores at 5 to 6 years.. · ABR may support long-term follow-up of preterm children..