Determination of Follow-up Time of Abnormal Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential in Infancy

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine optimal follow-up time of BAEP for the infants with abnormal BAEP at the initial screening test. METHOD: Control group consisted of 85 infants with normal BAEP and experimental group consisted of 41 infants with abnormal BAEP at the first examination but normalized on regular follow-up examinations. Gestational age (correctional age), intrauterine period, birth weight, delivery method, presence of perinatal asphyxia, Apgar score after 1 minute, the highest serum bilirubin level, and the results of cranial ultrasonography were recorded. The above parameters, peak and interpeak latencies of BAEP were compared between both groups. RESULTS: Lower correctional age at the first BAEP, shorter intrauterine period, and lower birth weight were noted in experimental group (p<0.001). The average correctional age when BAEP had normalized in experimental group was 45.0+/-5.8 weeks, which was much later than 40.2+/-2.8 weeks in control group (p<0.001). 90.2% of infants among experimental group revealed normalized BAEP within 48 weeks, and 95.1% within 51 weeks according to correctional age, or within 12 weeks after initial examination. CONCLUSION: We recommend that BAEP should be rechecked after 48 weeks by correctional age for the high risk infants who were abnormal with initial screening BAEP.