Otoacoustic emissions in the first year of life

Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) were successfully recorded in 192 ears of 100 consecutive full-term neonates tested on the third or fourth postnatal day. A follow-up study was performed in 35 of these infants at the ages of 3, 6 and 12 months. The number of infants presenting decreased linearly with postnatal age. TEOAE amplitudes were largest in the youngest age group. Both the time required for testing each infant and the number of ears in which TEOAEs could not be identified increased with age. Otomicroscopical changes indicating secretory otitis media were found in all the latter ears. Recording of TEOAEs is a suitable method for screening peripheral auditory function in infants, and can be most successfully performed at the age of 3 or 4 days.