All issues > Volume 49(12); 2006

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2006;49(12):1301-1307. Published online December 15, 2006.

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) results in NICU graduates

Hee-Joung HJ Choi¹, Tae-ho TH Lee¹, Ki-Won KW Oh¹, Heng-Mi HM Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea

Correspondence Heng-Mi HM Kim ,Email: hmkim@knu.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects, and early detection and intervention positively impact language/speech and cognitive development. It has been reported that NICU graduates have a high incidence of hearing loss. So we investigated the incidence, risk factors and clinical outcome of hearing loss in NICU graduates.
Methods
: This study involved neonatal auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing of newborn infants who graduated from the NICU of Kyungpook National University Hospital during a 3-year period (between July 2002 and June 2005) and subsequent follow-up of these infants.
Results
: ABR evaluations were performed on 474 infants. Of these infants, 64 showed abnormal ABR (13.5 percent). Of 128 ears from these 64 infants, two ears (1.6 percent) and 10 ears (7.8 percent) were classified as severe and profound hearing loss, respectively. The infants with abnormal ABR had higher incidence of prematurity, low birth weight, very low birth weight, neonatal asphyxia, cranio-facial malformation and amikacin treatment over 15 days (P<0.05). In infants with hyperbilirubinemia, the peak level of serum bilirubin, duration of phototherapy and exchange transfusion were not associated with the higher incidence of hearing loss. Follow-up ABR evaluation was performed on 15 infants with abnormal ABR at 8.8 ¡¾ 4.4 months. In follow-up ABR, 80.0% showed improvement or normalization of threshold sensitivity.
Conclusion
: NICU graduates exhibit high risk for hearing loss. Systemic and effective hearing assessment program is needed for these high risk infants.

Keywords :Intensive care , Newborn , Hearing loss , Auditory brainstem response