title: Brainstem auditory response findings in late preterm infants in neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine brainstem auditory function at term in late preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two preterm infants, born at 33-36 week gestation, were recruited in an NICU and were studied at term using brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with normal term infants, BAER wave V latency in the NICU preterm infants was increased at 51 and 91/sec (p<0.05, 0.05). Intervals of III-V and I-V were increased at all 21, 51 and 91/sec clicks (p<0.05-0.01), which was more significant at higher than lower rates. Interval ratio of III-V/I-III was increased significantly at 51 and 91/sec (p<0.05 and 0.01). Wave I and III latencies and I-III interval did not differ significantly from normal controls at any click rates. All amplitudes of waves I, III and V amplitude tended to be reduced at higher rates, while wave I amplitude was reduced significantly at 91/sec clicks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were BAER abnormalities in the NICU late preterm infants, suggesting compromised brainstem auditory function. Compared with a basically normal BAER in low-risk late preterm infants previously reported, the abnormalities suggest that perinatal problems or complications adversely affect the late preterm auditory brainstem.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. zedong.jiang@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ze D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal