Newborn hearing screening in the NICU: profile of failed auditory brainstem response/passed otoacoustic emission.
OBJECTIVE
Incidence of a specific pattern of auditory responses, absent auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and present otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), in newborn hearing screening in a regional perinatal center neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is described. This profile, labeled auditory neuropathy or auditory dyssynchrony (AN/AD), is a dysfunction in neural/brainstem transmission that occurs in individuals whose outer hairs cells are functioning normally. Although the AN/AD profile has been associated with various risk factors, incidence and prediction are unknown.


METHODS
Analysis of electrophysiologic measures and medical record reviews of the first 22 months of the universal newborn hearing-screening program was conducted. Association of the AN/AD profile was evaluated with the following factors: gender, gestational age, ototoxic drug regimen, low birth weight, hyperbilirubinemia, hydrocephalus, low Apgar score, anoxia, respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, intraventricular hemorrhage, multiple birth, seizure activity, and family history.


RESULTS
One hundred fifteen (24.1%) of the 477 infants failed the ABR in 1 or both ears and passed OAEs bilaterally. Comparisons of infants fitting the AN/AD profile with those not fitting the AN/AD profile were negative with 3 exceptions: those with hyperbilirubinemia and those who were administered vancomycin or furosemide. A logistic-regression analysis model failed to predict which infants would be at risk for the AN/AD profile either unilaterally or bilaterally.


CONCLUSIONS
Screening of NICU infants should be conducted with ABR first, followed by OAE after failure on ABR. Because the incidence of the AN/AD profile was found to be 24% in this at-risk population, additional study is warranted.
Berg
Abbey L
AL
Department of Communication Studies/Communication Sciences and Disorders, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Pace University, New York, New York, USA. aberg@pace.edu
Spitzer
Jaclyn B
JB
Towers
Helen M
HM
Bartosiewicz
Christine
C
Diamond
Beverly E
BE
D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006313:Hearing Loss, Central / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous