Ze D Jiang1, Li L Ping, Andrew R Wilkinson. 1. Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. zedong.jiang@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether late preterm infants with perinatal problems are at risk of brainstem auditory impairment. METHODS: 68 high-risk late preterm infants (gestation 33-36 weeks) with perinatal problems or conditions were studied at term using maximum length sequence brainstem auditory evoked response. The controls were 41 normal term infants and 37 low-risk late preterm infants. RESULTS: Compared with normal term infants, the high-risk late preterm infants demonstrated a significant abnormal increase in MLS BAER variables that mainly reflect more central function of the brainstem auditory pathway, including wave V latency, III-V and I-V interpeak intervals, and III-V/I-III interval ratio. The abnormalities were more significant at higher than at lower click rates. The slopes of MLS BAER-rate function for these variables were increased. Compared with low-risk late preterm infants, the high-risk infants showed similar, though slightly less significant, abnormalities, mainly a significant increase in III-V and I-V intervals. CONCLUSIONS: Maximum length sequence brainstem auditory evoked response components that mainly reflect central function of the auditory brainstem were abnormal at term in high-risk late preterm infants. SIGNIFICANCE: More central regions of the auditory brainstem are impaired in high-risk late preterm infants, which is mainly caused by associated perinatal problems or conditions.
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether late preterm infants with perinatal problems are at risk of brainstem auditory impairment. METHODS: 68 high-risk late preterm infants (gestation 33-36 weeks) with perinatal problems or conditions were studied at term using maximum length sequence brainstem auditory evoked response. The controls were 41 normal term infants and 37 low-risk late preterm infants. RESULTS: Compared with normal term infants, the high-risk late preterm infants demonstrated a significant abnormal increase in MLS BAER variables that mainly reflect more central function of the brainstem auditory pathway, including wave V latency, III-V and I-V interpeak intervals, and III-V/I-III interval ratio. The abnormalities were more significant at higher than at lower click rates. The slopes of MLS BAER-rate function for these variables were increased. Compared with low-risk late preterm infants, the high-risk infants showed similar, though slightly less significant, abnormalities, mainly a significant increase in III-V and I-V intervals. CONCLUSIONS: Maximum length sequence brainstem auditory evoked response components that mainly reflect central function of the auditory brainstem were abnormal at term in high-risk late preterm infants. SIGNIFICANCE: More central regions of the auditory brainstem are impaired in high-risk late preterm infants, which is mainly caused by associated perinatal problems or conditions.