Auditory Brainstem Responses in Normal Newborns / 听力学及言语疾病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective　To quantify the characteristics of the auditory brainstem responses(ABR) in the normal newborns, in order to provide a data for newborn hearing screening. Methods　The ABR to click stimuli was investigated in a group of eighty normal newborns aged from 3 to 8 days and compared to those observed from the normal hearing youths. Results　Wave, Ⅰ,Ⅲ and Ⅴ were identifiable in all of 160 ears at 130 dB pe-SPL. The threshold of wave Ⅴ to click stimuli was 61.94±6.87 dB peSPL, significantly higher than that in adults. Both latencies for wave Ⅰ,Ⅲ and Ⅴ and interwaves latencies Ⅰ-Ⅲ,Ⅲ-Ⅴ and Ⅰ-Ⅴ were significantly tonger than those for the adults under identical test conditions. The ratio of interwaves latency Ⅲ-Ⅴ to Ⅰ-Ⅲ for normal newborn was 0.71±0.12, statisitically smaller than that in adults. Conclusion　Click level 70 dB peSPL appeared to be a feasible criterion of threshold of ABR for newborn hearing screening. There were no significant effects of sex and ear in newborn hearing screening. The auditory system of the newborns was not equally mature. The neurological system is the primary source of differences between newborns and adults.