Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in infants: effects of gender, ear asymmetry and activity status.

This study examined the effects of gender, ear asymmetry and activity status of infants on various measures of transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE), including signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reproducibility of emissions, using TEOAE as a mass screening procedure in a community health setting. Five hundred and sixty-eight infants were screened for hearing at two months of age, before immunization. The ILO88 Otodynamic Analyzer Quickscreen program was used for all testing with pass/fail criteria similar to those used in the Rhode Island hearing assessment project. The results indicated a significant difference in SNR across sex, with females showing a higher mean SNR. The right ear was found to have higher values in 'reproducibility' and 'response level' than the left ear. A significant difference in SNR across activity states was also evident. Implications from these findings, as applied to community-based screening programs, are discussed.