Abstract
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) in neonates and infants should be carefully evaluated because of differences in development of hearing nervous system. We examined ABR in three neonates and 97 infants with risk factor of hearing impairment and the results were compared with final diagnosis mainly by COR. In addition, the study of developmental changes of latency and threshold was done.
51 cases with initially normal ABR were diagnosed normal hearing finally. 24 cases were proved to have normal hearing in spite of abnormality by the initial ABR and 88% of them were preterm infants or under two months old. In more than half cases of them normal results were obtained when ABR were done about 6 months old.
Among the 100 subjects, one severe SNH and 13 moderate SNH were found. Half of them were accompanied with embryomental abnormalities, one case had only perinatal factor and 7 of them began the auditory training and hearing aid at about 1 year old.
As a conclusion, hearing tests by ABR should be done early in high risk infants, and they should be examined again about their 6 months of age when the first ABR were abnormal.
