Conductive hearing loss in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the risk of conductive hearing loss in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and preterm controls.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 78 infants with BPD of 26-33 weeks gestation and 78 controls of similar gestational age matched for broad-based birthweight categories. An auditory brainstem response (ABR) audiology was performed shortly before hospital discharge. Visual reinforcement orientation audiometry (VROA) and impedance audiometry were performed at 8-12 months corrected for prematurity. Infants with persistent audiological abnormalities were referred for evaluation to paediatric ENT surgeons.


RESULTS
Infants with BPD had a significantly higher rate of ABR abnormalities (BPD: 22%, controls: 9%; P = 0.028). On VROA and impedance audiometry, the infants with BPD also had a higher rate of persistent abnormalities. Following ENT assessment, 22.1% of infants with BPD and 7.7% of controls had persistent conductive dysfunction requiring myringotomy and grommet tube insertion (P = 0.03). Most of these infants had normal ABR audiometry at hospital discharge.


CONCLUSIONS
Preterm infants with BPD are at high risk of persistent conductive hearing loss late in the first year of life compared to controls. An ABR audiology conducted at the time of hospital discharge does not predict accurately later conductive hearing problems. Infants with BPD should have routine audiological evaluation toward the end of the first year of life.
Gray
P H
PH
Department of Neonatology, and Growth and Development Unit, Mater Misericordiae Public Hospitals, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. pgray@mater.org.au
Sarkar
S
S
Young
J
J
Rogers
Y M
YM
D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D012720:Severity of Illness Index