Central auditory processing disorder profile in premature and term infants.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) profile between children born prematurely and at term. METHODS: A retrospective study involving children 7 to 13 years of age who were referred for CAPD evaluation over the past 3 years. Parental reports and medical records were used to collect information. Children with a score ≥ two standard deviations below the mean for at least one ear on at least two different CAPD tests were considered to have CAPD. RESULTS: A total of 82 children were evaluated for CAPD of which 22 met exclusion criteria, resulting in 60 children with CAPD (15 premature and 45 term). Premature children had higher prevalence of cesarean section delivery and neonatal jaundice compared with term children. Premature children had a higher total number of failed CAPD tests compared with the term children. Among CAPD tests, there was an increased frequency of abnormal Phonemic Synthesis test (PST) and decreased frequency of abnormal Staggered Spondaic Word test (SSW) among premature children compared with term children. CONCLUSION: Premature children differ in CAPD profile compared with term children. Findings suggest possible etiological differences for CAPD such as jaundice or differential susceptibility of premature children for altered PST and SSW performance when compared with the term children.

In utero iron status and auditory neural maturation in premature infants as evaluated by auditory brainstem response.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cord ferritin (CF) concentration, an index of in utero iron status, is associated with auditory neural maturation in premature infants. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cohort study was performed to compare auditory neural maturation in infants with latent iron deficiency (CF 11-75 ng/mL) and infants with normal iron status (CF > 75 ng/mL) at birth. Our inclusion criteria were infants of 27-33 weeks gestational age who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between July 2007 and November 2008 within 12 hours after birth and had cord blood collected. Infants with TORCH infections (toxoplasmosis, other infections, rubella, cytomegalovirus infection, and herpes simplex), chromosomal disorders, craniofacial anomalies, culture-proven sepsis, and/or unstable conditions were excluded. CF level was measured using a chemiluminescence immunoassay method. Bilateral monaural auditory brainstem evoked response (ABR) was assessed using 80-dB nHL click stimuli at a repetition rate of 29.9/seconds within 48 hours after birth. RESULTS: Of the 80 infants studied, 35 had latent iron deficiency. After controlling for confounders, the infants with latent iron deficiency had significantly prolonged absolute wave latencies I, III, and V and decreased frequency of mature ABR waveforms compared with the infants with normal iron status. CONCLUSION: Premature infants with in utero latent iron deficiency have abnormal auditory neural maturation compared with infants with normal in utero iron status.