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[Acoustically evoked brain stem potentials in infants with velum clefts]
H Lauffer1, U Pröschel, D Spitzer
1Klinik für Kinder und Jugendliche, Universität Erlangen.
Klinische Padiatrie
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Infants with cleft palate often have hearing deficits. Surgical closure of the palate did not improve their conductive hearing loss, indicating a persistent auditory challenge.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- Otolaryngology
- Congenital anomalies
Context:
- Cleft palate is a common congenital condition affecting infants.
- Hearing impairment is a significant concern in children with cleft palate.
- Brainstem acoustic evoked responses (BAERs) are used to assess auditory function.
Purpose:
- To evaluate auditory thresholds in infants with cleft palate using BAERs.
- To determine the prevalence of hearing deficits in this population.
- To assess the impact of surgical palate closure on hearing loss.
Summary:
- Brainstem acoustic evoked responses were recorded in 37 infants with cleft palate.
- Only 35% of infants had normal auditory thresholds.
- A significant percentage exhibited bilateral (27%) or unilateral (22%) hearing deficits exceeding 30 dB.
- Post-operative evaluations revealed no improvement in conductive hearing loss following surgical closure.
Impact:
- Highlights the high incidence of hearing loss in infants with cleft palate.
- Suggests that surgical intervention for cleft palate may not resolve associated conductive hearing loss.
- Underscores the need for early and ongoing audiological monitoring in infants with cleft palate.