Comparative ABR profile in high risk infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Audiology
• Neonatology

Background:

• Infant hearing is crucial for development.
• Neonatal conditions like jaundice, prematurity, meningitis, and septicemia are potential threats to auditory health.
• Early detection of auditory insults is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate auditory pathway function in infants with specific neonatal conditions.
• To assess the incidence and severity of hearing impairment in these at-risk infants.
• To compare the auditory effects of neonatal jaundice, prematurity, pyogenic meningitis, and septicemia.

Main Methods:

• Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were recorded in 52 infants up to 3 months old.
• Participants included infants with a history of neonatal jaundice, prematurity, pyogenic meningitis, or septicemia.
• Analysis focused on absolute and interpeak latencies of ABR waves and the incidence of sensorineural deafness.

Main Results:

• Significant delays in ABR wave latencies were observed in infants with jaundice and prematurity.
• Pyogenic meningitis and septicemia also showed significant ABR abnormalities, with distinct patterns for each condition.
• Neonatal jaundice was associated with the highest incidence of severe and moderate sensorineural deafness (30.77% each).
• Overall, 44.23% of infants exhibited some form of deafness.

Conclusions:

• Neonatal conditions significantly affect auditory brainstem pathways in infants.
• Neonatal jaundice presents a substantial risk for severe hearing impairment.
• ABR is a valuable tool for identifying auditory insults in high-risk neonates.