Auditory neuropathy in late preterm infants treated with phototherapy for hyperbilirubinemia

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of auditory neuropathy (AN) in late preterms treated with phototherapy for hyperbilirubinemia. Design: Prospective observational study comprising late preterms treated with phototherapy for hyperbilirubinemia. Newborns were screened with combined transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) / automated auditory brainstem responses (AABR). Infants who failed screening underwent diagnostic (ABR). Infants were all re-evaluated with AABR at one year. Study sample: Eighty-five infants with a mean serum total bilirubin concentration of 22.3 ± 1.76 mg/dl; severe-hyperbilirubinemia (SH), and 102 infants with a mean serum total bilirubin concentration of 18.6 ± 1.26 mg/dl; non-severe hyperbilirubinemia (NSH) were included. Results: From 85 late preterms with SH, six (7.1%) failed screening and underwent diagnostic ABR for six weeks. AN was diagnosed in two (2%) infants with SH. Four (3.9%) of the 102 controls with NSH demonstrated failure at TEOAE/AABR. No AN was diagnosed in the control group at the diagnostic ABR. No statistically significant difference was found between infants treated with phototherapy for SH and NSH with regard to AN/AD either in the postnatal period or at one year. No correlation was found between serum bilirubin levels and ABR latencies or thresholds. Conclusions: AN (2%) in late preterms treated with phototherapy for severe-hyperbilirubinemia was not higher than in those with non-severe hyperbilirubinemia.

Key Words::

• Hyperbilirubinemia
• auditory brainstem-evoked response
• transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions
• auditory neuropathy
• late preterms
• neonates

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mrs Başak Fırat from the audiology laboratory for her contribution in ABR testing of the infants.

Declaration of interest: The authors state that there is no conflict of interest.