Comparison of newborn hearing screening tests and diagnostic auditory brainstem responses (ABR) between babies who are hyperbilirubinemic and non-hyperbilirubinemic

Brainstem audiometry (BSA) is being used for both newborn hearing screening which provides early identification and early intervention opportunities for babies who are at risk for hearing loss and used for a diagnostic tool. BSA, gives more information to evaluate auditory-neural pathways for babies who have risk factors that related to hearing loss than the otoacoustic emissions(OAE) and decreases the referral rate. The usage of BSA is also important for hyperbilirubinemia which is one of the risk factors that related to hearing loss and which causes newborn jaundice. In this study, non-hyperbilirubinemic babies and the babies with newborn jaundice were evaluated by diagnostic BSA when they are 3 and 6 months of their lives after the completing newborn hearing screening period. According to the BSA measurements in the third month of their lives, I-V interpeak wave latencies of hyperbilirubinemic babies were prolonged than the controls. In the same period, 3 hyperbilirubinemic babies and 1 control baby had cochlear microphonic findings. When the sex is compared in the hyperbilirubinemic babies, the wave V amplitude was greater in females. The absolute waves and interpeak wave latencies of hyperbilirubinemic babies were significant out of the control group?s normal range. At the time of six months of the age, the all absolute waves and interpeak wave latency values decreased related with aging and the maturation of auditory-neural pathways in both groups. There was not seen any baby with hearing loss and with auditory neuropaty (AN).Anahtar KelimelerBrainstem Audiometry, Newborn Jaundice, The Maturation of Auditory-Neural Pathways, Newborn Hearing Screening